To Nationalize or Not, our car that is!

Today we decided to take a run out to the Aduana's office in Progresso. We brought with us, in 2006, a 1999 Ford Taurus. We have no intention of returning this car to the USofA, if it can be avoided.

When you have an FM3 and you import your vehicle you receive a "Permiso de Importacion Temporal". This is a document, AND a sticker of which the sticker must be affixed to your vehicles front windshield. As long as you successfully renew your FM3 each year, your 'Permiso' renews as well. This 'Permiso' allows you to have your vehicle in country 'temporarily', rule being you will remove it.

You CAN NOT sell your vehicle in country as a foreign plated car. In order to get the vehicle off your FM3 you must remove it from Mexico. For us, the closest border to cross to pass through a Customs Station is Belize. So we could drive to Belize, cross the Border to document and remove the sticker, and sell the car there.

Another option, and since I don't really want to sell the car, is to Nationalize it. There is a window of opportunity when a vehicle is 10 years old, to do this. So in 2009, a 1999 vehicle can be Nationalized. You have from Nov 1 of the year previous to Oct 31 of the cars year in which to accomplish this. That's it not 3 days earlier, or 2 weeks later. This process allows the car to have Mexican plates. We already carry Mexican Insurance, and this part is hearsay, so far, after a vehicle is 10 years old you no longer have a fee to renew the plates (placas).

So today, after attempting, unsuccessfully, to get info over the phone, we headed to Progresso to the Aduanas Office.

We took with us: the Vehicle Title, the Permiso de Importacion, Insurance documents, a current utility bill (in my name), my FM3, and my Passport. Oh, and friend Lida, who is Yucateca, and has great Spanish!

At just past 9:30AM we approached the Aduanas office, just on the road at the head of the Pier in Progresso.


Here is a closer look at the front of the building, and this is where I was given the wiggly index finger by the Guard that means NO! Do Not Do That!

We approached the Gentleman at the desk, we presented the Title and Permiso and explained what we wanted to do; he gave us the sad face and explaned that he had some bad news. It is very expensive to Nationalize a car. AND we can not do it ourselves, but must have a Representative. I joked that we had our friend Lida with us, as her Spanish is way better than mine. No good, we should go to Agencia Aduanal Cervera, just up the street and around the corner.
Their actual address is:
Agencia Aduanal Cervera S.A. DE C.V.
calle 84 #127 x 27 y 29
Centro, Progresso, Yucatan 97320
969-935-3535, or 3539
agencia@cervera.com.mx

and here is the office

So again, we presented the Title and Permiso and explained what we wanted to do.
This time the young lady at this desk picks up her phone, says a few things and then passes the phone to friend Lida. Lida and phone voice chat, she asks me some questions, the phone voice asks her some questions, etc, etc. Phone voice tells us it will cost 12,300mxp to Nationalize our car. And that we can turn in our paperwork there for pickup by phone voice next time he comes to Progresso. Seems phone voice's office is at the airport in Merida, 8 minutes from my house.

Here is Sr Miguel Herrera's (phone voice), contact info
Oficina Aeropuerto Merida
Calle 21 #311 x 28 y 30
Col Manuel Crescencio Rejon
Merida, Yucatan
999-946-2326 ext 107
www.cervera.com.mx


We've decided to ponder our decision at this point.

And here's cool shot during our walk, these were hanging at an iron work shop

Tom's 60th Birthday Party

I hesitate to blog Tom's Birthday Party because we had to limit our attendee list.

Our house is huge, for us, but not huge for LOTS of people. Therefore, and unfortunately, some of our friends, as much as we wanted to, were not able to be included.

All that said, I'm gonna post a few pics anyway.

Is this the face of a 60 year old? I think not!

This is actually a big year for us - Tom wanted to throw a MASSIVE Party, but again, we just don't have the space. Tom turned 60 June 2, June 8 was our 35th wedding anniversary, and December 24 I turn 55. All that adds up to 150 and for some reason Tom finds that number significant.

I'm a humbug about special days, December 24 each year is just that, December 24, nothing more, nothing less. Christmas is December 25, Halloween is October something, 30, 31... You get my point. Tom on the other hand loves any reason to make a fuss, makes you wonder how we've made it together so long doesn't it? They say opposites attract, but what is that makes them stick!

Tom decided he wanted a party for his 60th. I threw him a big one for his 40th, rented a hall, had a magician , catered food, open bar, yadda, yadda, yadda; he doesn't remember to much about it, neither do I really, but the pictures make it look like we were having a good time.

So this year, he wants a party, and he wants to get Angélica Balado to perform, I've posted about her before. Angelica Balado performs Contemporary Yucatecan Trova, she has a lovely throaty voice, plays guitar, and her percussionist vocalist partner Melina Ruz is a wiz on drums n things.

Tom actually ended up doing uch of the planning. I handled food and details, he handled the I wants. To that end he enlists good buddy Lida to act as his agent and track down Angelica Balado, give her the date, see if she is available, and importantly find out how much she costs. Lida is local yucateca and speaks the lingo muy bueno. Tom has some phone numbers, but none seem to get through; Lida works, n works, n works, finally after the 3rd week, and a week before the party she makes contact. Now Lida is a BIG FAN of Angelica and is maybe just a bit startstruck, and can't believe she is actually talking to her, so that in itself was cool. Angelica is in fact available, and although pricey, it's what Tom wants! Woo Hoo!

Here are Angélica Balado and Melina Ruz performing for Tom at his birthday party.

Here's Tom, Victor, and Me enjoying the performance.

Here are scene shots of guests during the performance. We had extra folding chairs so that anyone that wanted to sit and watch could. Unfortunately we were so in to the guests, and the performance, and the party that we neglected to take photos, and those that we did take aren't great. Group shots all seem to include someone in a less than favorable pose or expression and I won't do that to my friends.

Here's a good one of Tom and Jette!

The pool was absolutely stunning and magical with the lights and balloons, and shimmer, and shadow, but, again I didn't get a good photo. Oh when the breeze would swirl the ballons around the pool it was so cool.

I'm hoping some of the friends that took photos might have a few good ones to share, and then I will post them as well.

fun fotos

I was just recently reading friend Lida's blog about being tagged; the objective of the tag was to open your 'My Pictures' file, open the 7th folder and post the 7th picture.

I wasn't tagged but followed the procedure - just out of curiosity.

Here's #7 foto in the 7th folder

This foto was taken in January 2009, at friend Elizabeth's country get-away. The occasion was Elizabeth's birthday. We passed a lovely afternoon eating, drinking, and visiting with friends, old and new.
As a result of this I spent a bit of time going through fotos folders reviewing and remembering events. I may now pull out a few cd's and dvd's where foto folders are no longer stored on the computer and review a little Tom and Debi history. What a fun way to pass the heat of the day!

I've been tagged

There are a few rules one must follow to play the game. When tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list eight random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to eight other people.

I'm afraid I'll have to treat this as I do chain emails, and just ignore and delete.

Now normally I love a good game, but this just seems tedious.

Sorry to all you Taggers out there!

I have Dengue

Yep - I have Dengue. Last Sunday evening while enjoying a lovely afternoon and dinner with friends I started feeling a bit off. Didn't really think it could be the beer I had, but you never know!

We came home early, I was running a 102f temperature and was having serious bone and joint pain, and horrific muscle spasms. By about 9:30 pm my fever was up and combined with the pain I was delirious. Tom got me to Clinica Merida where they administed lots of pain releivers, muscle relaxers, intravenous fluids, and cold compresses to lower the fever.

I was in Urgencia (ER) for 15 hours.

Tom and Lida maintained vigil, ensuring all was ok, and that I got everything I needed

It's been really rough. I'm feeling a bit better. Maintaining a 100f temperature. I have all the other standard Dengue stuff, eye pain and sensitivity, which is really rough cause I can't even sit and read a book. I am unable yet to eat, but am consuming copious quantities of Gatorade and water. I have a red flush over almost all of my body, and am covered by tiny little rash bumps that cause me to apply Caladryl like body lotion.

We've sprayed the house with enough toxin to kill off the mosquitos, plus just about anything else. We keep each room locked down so that we minimize the possibility of spreading this any further. And I haven't left the house since I got home from hospital - which is driving me a bit crazy because Dec 4 was release date for Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End!

Now to top it off esposo comes down with symptoms on Wednesday.