Only four days into 2011 and absurdity abounds.
We had to move out of the house we'd been renting last Wednesday, and the new house is still a bit on hold due to a series of complications, so just before new year's day, we were, essentially, homeless.
Then Ani and Maxi, two friends of ours took us in. Then Mary, another good friend, invited us to her place for New Year's dinner. Then Dennis, a.k.a Victor -- because apparently Argentines simply cannot understand the name Dennis -- traded a website for his hotel in exchange for giving us a place to live for the next two weeks.
Dennis is fantastic in so many ways. Obviously, because he's given us a place to call home, but also because he walks around all day long in his bikini bathing suit and loves to chat about anything, but especially his girlfriends.
I feel like I'm in some made for TV movie. Something funny, not the cheesy sort of crap you find too often on the Lifetime network. Something you'd find maybe on HBO, you know, creative but allows nudity and obscenity. Keeping that in mind, imagine the scene that followed when we found a bat flying around our room late last night.
The hotel, Campo de Esperanza, is just a little way down the road from our last place, but there is so much more wild life here. Perhaps because of it's proximity to the river?
Mani loves the new place. This photo shows him hunting for a family of cats that lives in the the trees behind the house. Truly, he has not a chance of actually catching them. In spite of his almost fifty pound heft, he's a puppy at heart and the white mama cat easily intimidates him.
Yes, that about sums up life right about now. Am I frustrated? Yes. Am I grateful? Absolutely. The sheer number of people who have helped us most definitely takes the edge off our uncertainty.
Besides, this isn't the first time we've been homeless. It's just the first time that we've done it with a dog and a couch.
Gotta tell you, you guys are amazing.
Posted by: Peter Shankman | January 04, 2011 at 06:06 PM
Whenever I'm most frustrated I always try to remind myself - at least I'm not bored! It works, sometimes.
Posted by: ayngelina | January 04, 2011 at 07:53 PM
Sound like quite an adventure! Remember to keep breathing LOL.
Posted by: Andi | January 04, 2011 at 09:02 PM
Thanks for that vote of confidence, Mr. Shankman. I suppose I'm also lucky to have a lot of people in my life who are always saying anything is possible, go for it, you can do it. ;)
Posted by: Leigh Shulman | January 05, 2011 at 10:05 AM
Hehe. So true. And I can say without a doubt that I am most definitely not bored.
Posted by: Leigh Shulman | January 05, 2011 at 10:06 AM
Always an adventure it seems, even when we're trying to make things more mellow. It must be what we want because we keep finding ourselves here in adventure-land.
And yes, breathing. Great advice.
(Btw, I see you'll be headed back to Argentina later this year. Maybe we can meet up somewhere? I'd love an excuse to visit BsAs.)
Posted by: Leigh Shulman | January 05, 2011 at 10:07 AM
hey! I think you are the YBM mom! Regardless, we are going to be in BA late June/early July and are wanting to make a 1-2 day trip somewhere- if it is Salta or somewhere else, any advice is appreciated!! While i don't speak Spanish (yet!) it's my dream, and perhaps doable (dh's job can be done abroad) but teenage dd is the issue w/school. would love to hear any info you have! Vague stuff I know, but if you have time-to chat, let me know!
Posted by: Amy | March 12, 2011 at 06:35 AM