Where do I start? First, the burning question, did I get the job at the winery (see prev. post 'Wine Not?' for the interview shenanigan's)? The short answer is no. I did not get a call back but I also did not expect one. The last 3 weeks are a bit of a blur because my Tia Maria had surgery on her spine the same day as my interview and since she's been home, I've been doing my best to keep her from lifting things or twisting or causing strain to her lower back. I've also memorized her pill schedule and I am getting pretty good at smaller household chores. When I peel potatoes now, more of the potatoe stays with the vegetable rather than off with the peel🥔. Honestly, time has been moving along quite quickly. I've found a routine that includes sleeping in until 9am, looking after Zeus and my Tia, preparing lunch for the guys to come home at noon and then cleaning and helping cook dinner. I am also proud that I no longer use a GPS when I go to the pharmacy, the grocery store or the bakery🛣️. Not sure if I've mentioned that we found me a car with an automatic transmission which was not easy (or cheap) since I have yet to learn how to drive standard. Seems pretty silly that I haven't taken the time to learn how to drive stick but if you saw the inclines and declines of these mountain roads, you'd feel my fear. There aren't enough clutches in the world to save a vehicle from the beating I would put on it😏. I have attached a photo of the car; it's amazing that I was once the owner of a Hummer (not my idea), a Buick Rendezvous (an over-correction-mom-van), a Cadillac CTS-V (my one true love) and now, a Peugeot 108 🤓. It's a tiny little thing with back windows that pop out instead of roll down 😂. It gets the job done and as I mentioned, it wasn't cheap. It's used, 2019 model, and it cost 12,750 euros. To put this expense into perspective; minimum wage here is 5 euros per hour. Kevin has said it often, even though the cost of living here is much less than most places - cars, fuel and buildings are exponentially more expensive💰.
Starting over on the islands has its parallels with our previous border jump from Canada to the US. We are fortunate to not have immigration to contend with but the issues we had with having no credit or new credit are real. We weren't able to finance my car purchase which would have helped to keep more of our money in the bank for longer. I haven't taken the chance to apply for a credit card yet but that will be the next step I guess, just to build up from somewhere. Surprisingly enough, our residency was quick and easy AND we even received our Portugal Passports already (it took less than 30 days from application to delivery)😁. The precious dollars we have left HAVE to be invested in something that will generate an income because Kevin is the only working income right now. He is working for my uncle who luckily speaks portuguese and english so Kevin is golden 👌. He enjoys it and his view is phenomenal; I took a picture of it when I was there last (see below). Kev comes home with new words everyday and a few funny stories too. From the outside looking in, one would think my full-time job is growing my facial hair; I really need to find an esthetician😐. I've seen a few but I have not worked up the nerve to walk in and attempt to explain that I need a full face wax. Pretty soon I won't need to use words, they'll take one look at my face and show me to a chair 😅. I am less concerned about getting a job right now with Tia's recovery as my top priority and I am moonlighting as Kevin's conversationalist/appointment setter/bill collector/email writer for his side jobs. He has had a few customers so far and one of them will be consistent, every 3 months or so. I have a formula that we are applying to the mechanic work before completely breaking free on our own. I can't tell all of our business secrets but I think we have a solid plan to make a name for Kev and his expertise but for now, he is best to stay employed under my uncle for the steady income stream.
Now onto the land update. We own 3 seperate properties. The first one was purchased last year and is almost cleared completely with water and electrical hookups set and the front retaining wall built. Initially, the excitement of seeing that piece, got our juices flowing to start building our dream home but we have allowed for some further planning and have switched gears. The second property is in a town closer to the Airport and has a beautiful view. It is the smallest of the three locations and needs a bit more work with fill, levelling, and proper placement of the two rental/vacation homes we plan to build. Thanks to a website called Pineca, we were able to shop for the structures as insulated prefabricated wood homes. I spoke to a rep today and other than paying the 20% deposit, our order is ready to go to manufacturing. The negative side to working with a company from Barcelona is the delivery time which they have estimated to be 4 months 🙄. Patience truly is a virtue and I am the picture of patience these days 😇. The third piece of land was just finalized in our name yesterday. The strangest experience thus far has been the multitude of offices and signatures needed when transferring property. I only understand a third of what is being asked of me and I am VERY grateful to any english speaking agent whenever they happen to be available. Here's the order as far as I have experienced... Notary for the sale document, a place here called the Camara for the transfer of electrical and water usage, a place called the Ambiente to register the land's property lines and limits, the Finance office to exchange tax information and then wait for the final registration/deed to arrive in the mail. Each place of business needs a marked appointment so this has not been a fast process. Speaking of the mail, our Amazon Prime applies to Amazon Spain and we even get free shipping but we have to wait 2-4 weeks for our packages 😅.
Another interesting tidbit, this is our first halloween here in Pico and they do get trick-or-treaters but they don't all say the english phrase 'trick or treat', they say the portuguese phrase that translate to 'bread for God' AND they don't celebrate it on October 31st, they do this on November 1st starting in the morning and extending into the evening. We bought the candy yesterday, I am looking forward to experiencing this island tradition 🍬.
My Hot Ride 😎
Kevin's view at work 😍
Recent Traffic Jam 😋
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