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September 24, 2010

Fwd: [RonnieLarsen.com/Blog] New comment on Some of the WORST hours of my life!.

Thank you, Lisa. You are very, very sweet!

Lisa Marie has left a new comment on your post "Some of the WORST hours of my life!":

Honey, you are a wonderful loving human being who did the right thing taking in the poor puppy. I knew it was bad in mexico for people and animals but not that bad. I hope the lady doesn't ask for much or bring the police. I pray for you & your loving pups.

Lisa


Derek Holt of Central Casting is my new best friend.

I just got the most absurd "anonymous" hate mail from some guy named Derek Holt who works at Central Casting in Burbank, Calif. It was easy to figure out who he was; you just take the e-mail address and type it in to Facebook. Derek Holt, were you hoping to remain anonymous? The best part is he accuses me of being a traitor for choosing to live in Mexico. A traitor??? Oy vey. I'm putting it out there so if anyone Googles Derek Holt + Central Casting they'll see what a charming, and I suspect, racist individual he is. Maybe I should be flattered that he thinks I have talents to squander but frankly, if he's my audience, I'd prefer to stay retired.

"I started to read your
blog/web site a couple of years
ago when it was still
interesting and you were involved with the production of your plays. Since then, the whole tone of your writing has changed, and frankly, it's been for the worse. I just read your sad dog story and the only thing that's more pathetic is the life you're living in Mexico. What do you expect when you choose to live in a Third World shit-hole? Your politics, poor choices and silly personal crusdes has caused you to lose your focus and ignore your talents- while living in a country whose criminals are invading the U.S. and destroying the quality of life LEGAL Americans have earned. You are a traitor to this country and you are welcome to stay as far from it as you'd like. You are also free to squander your talents. Just don't whine about the outcome. I am un-subscribing from your blog/site/pity-party and I can't say that I'll miss hearing about whatever it is that you've become- because you HAVE become a tragic, pathetic victim all on your very own."

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September 23, 2010

Some of the WORST hours of my life!

Wow. I am so disgusted with myself. I just had some of the most depressing hours of my entire life. I hate myself right now and I hate Mexico. I could throw up. I'm so sad.

I moved here over a year ago and one of the hardest most disgusting things I've witnessed is the amount of hungry and desperate dogs roaming the streets. The majority of them seem terrified of humans. Dead dogs are a constant sight on the sides of roads and sometimes a dead dog will lie in the gutter for days and just rot away. This is something I have never seen in the United States and I can't imagine ever getting used to it.

I love dogs. I like dogs more people. I wish I could be as unconditionally loving as my dog. I had two dogs but one died a few months ago. She was a very troubled dog my partner and I bought off a homeless man. She reeked of beer. We brought her home and raised her but she had a very nasty side. She was very loving but also incredibly difficult.

She died leaving me with just one dog who is very sweet, Linda. Linda lives outside most of the time in a doghouse. I let her in the house all day but Melqui and I agreed that she would live outside cause he doesn't like the dog hair all over the house. It's not what I would choose but she's fine outside and relationships are about compromise. But I feel bad that she's alone outside and I've often thought it would be nice if she had a friend.

So three days ago, we take Linda on a walk to the store and we see this beautiful black lab. It's big but clearly still a puppy; bright white teeth. The dog is terrified. Won't come near us but he's fascinated by Linda. We were in an enclosed, empty parking lot. So I let Linda off the leash and her and this sweet dog start playing. They are instant friends; jumping and chasing and having fun. It took about half an hour but every time Linda would come back to me the lab would get closer. A few times he let me touch him but whenever I did he'd jump and run 10 feet away. So, finally we decided to leave, and I'm hoping the dog follows us home but I'm nervous cause I know Melqui doesn't want a second dog. But the dog follows us home and we feed him and he drinks a bunch of water and after an hour or so he lets me touch him.

So Melqui says we need to give the dog a bath and take it to the vet for some shots. So the next day I try to put a collar on him and he's not having it. He does not want a collar but I finally I get it on and then I try to get the leash on and he's really not having the leash. I try to pull him by the collar and he will not budge. I realize now I have a big problem. How can I bathe or take him to the vet if I can't get him on a leash.

So, I give up for the next few days and I just focus on getting the dog to relax and eat and be comfortable. And everyday we get closer. He lets me hug him. He jumps in to my arms. Now even though we have a fence the dog has no problem squeezing through the bars so technically the dog isn't ours. He can leave at anytime. But he doesn't. He wants to live with us. And I WANT him to live with us. He barks at all the people that walk by but maybe in Tijuana that's a good thing.

So, I had to go to the USA today and Melqui met me after I got back and we went to dinner and when we returned, Melqui's brother, (who's been staying with us) informs us that today the dog jumped through the fence and bit some lady and the lady is gonna come back tomorrow and she wants money. I'm the only Gringo in the neighborhood and sometimes I feel like I have a dollar sign bulls-eye on my back. I asked Melqui how much money he thought she would want. He didn't know. I said, "what if you tell the lady we don't have money. He said, "maybe she'll go for police and they'll take the dog."

What a mess. Is it our dog? Are we responsible? Are we gonna be on the hook for a bunch of money? Is the lady gonna try to extort me cause she thinks I'm a gringo with lots of money? Are the police gonna take the dog and kill it? What if it all blows over, we keep the dog and he bites someone else? How we can get him his shots when we can't get him on a leash? How much time and money is it gonna take to alter the fence?

There were just too many unknowns. So we decide to send the dog away. I'm not saying it was the right thing but it's what we decided and now I'm disgusted with myself. He was in in the doghouse so we tilted the doghouse to get him out but he didn't want to go. He kept running behind the house. He ran back in to the doghouse. I had tried so hard to earn his trust and now there I am trying to scare him away. But he doesn't want to go. He just huddled in the corner of the yard, totally confused. So I got the hose and I started spraying him with water. And he still wouldn't leave. So as I was spraying I started yelling, "Go! Go!", and he finally ran out of the yard, jumped through the fence and in to the street. And for about 15 minutes he kept trying to come home and every time he headed back I would spray him again and finally he ran down the street.

And now I hate myself. But I didn't know what else to do.

Maybe I should've put a screen over the fence so he can't bit people in the future but what if he bites visitors? And how would we get him to the vet? And if the cops take him they might just kill him, anyway. Maybe he has a chance on the street. But there are so many dead dogs out there.

It just feels like a no-win situation. And tomorrow I get to deal with this lady who was bitten and maybe even the police. And how much money is she gonna want?

I hate Mexico tonight. I hate the way they treat dogs here. I hate feeling like a walking dollar sign everywhere I go. But I really hate myself tonight for turning the hose on a frightened animal that trusted me not to abuse him. The dog thought he'd found a friend. The dog trusted me and I rewarded that trust by spraying it with a hose and chasing it down the street. I'm disgusting. I feel physically ill about what I did.

And that is the story of one of the worst hours of my entire life.

___________________

Update: A few hours later, last night, I go and look and he's back sitting on the porch. I open the door. He stares at me. So I decide to let him in the house and I make a bed in the office and me and the two dogs sleep together on the floor, happily, all night. I still don't know what to do. I guess I'll put screen over the fence to keep him in. I guess I'll pay this lady money if she comes back. I don't know. But this dog is so sweet and loving and life for a dog on Tijuana streets is hell. So...who knows?


September 17, 2010

USA is FAST!!!!!!!!!

After 6 long months we have turned a huge corner! The site speed problem is now officially solved. (We hope!!!) I could write a novel on what I've gone through trying to solve this and all the tech people I've gone through and the money I've wasted but it's all in the past!

After 6 long months USA is officially a very fast site. AND if it slows down again we have back-up options A, B and C to solve it right away. I've been on the site non-stop for 24 hours and it hasn't slowed down once. Everything runs super fast!

The site is going to be completely open and unrestricted at least through Monday. So, go test it, play around. We want to see if it slows down as more people log on so, please go, the more the merrier.

One thing, the videos are not currently playing. We moved to a new server and they are still processing. Sorry. But they should be up and running by Monday.

I found an amazing tech guy, an American living in China and he's a true genius. He's not cheap though. This recent move has cost about 1,500 dollars and so far only half has been paid. Money raised from Saturday nights party is going to directly to our tech guy so please come out Saturday and support the site. It's really important. And if you've ever thought of joining the site or contributing money THIS would be the week to do it.

And to those of you have joined, have contributed, and have come to parties. You are to be thanked. Without you we could NEVER have gotten this solved!

So that's the news. If the site isn't fast for you or you have problems, please let me know.

And please accept my sincere apology for not getting this solved sooner. No one knew what the problem was until I met this guy. He knew right away and gave me a huge list. We still aren't done but we are on our way. Our tech is a true genius and can fix anything so after the migration is complete I'm having him work on other problems. I'm very excited about this guy.

Have fun on the site this weekend.

Now that this problem is solved we can move on to some new exciting chapters!

The future is bright.

Love,

Sally, Ronnie, Blair and AlwaysADiva

September 01, 2010

Another Strike Against Mexico

Last night my boyfriend and I got out of a cab a block from our house, walked ten feet, two cop trucks pulled up, briefly interrogated and frisked us both, handcuffed Melqui and put him in the back of the truck and drove off. I had no idea why.

His brother and I then took a cab to the downtown jail. For the next 4 hours we waited and watched as truckloads of men and a few women were delivered to the jail via the back of police pick up trucks. Some men looked homeless, others drunk, but some just looked like regular guys. None of them seemed very scared or upset. They would unload the men and then release many of them right away after answering a few questions at a window.

Finally, Melqui's truck pulled up. He was still handcuffed but now it was to another prisoner. They jumped out of the truck, stood up against a wall, got unhandcuffed, went up to a window, answered a few questions and got released.

Melqui said they asked him why he was arrested, he told them he had no idea and they let him go.

Melqui believes it's a quota thing. They have to pick up so many people a night. What else could it be? It cost us 30 bucks in cab fare and Melqui isn't going to work today because we got home at 5AM.

The next time you hear someone complain about criminals having too many rights in America think of Mexico and imagine this happening to you. People who sue police departments are protecting us all by keeping the police accountable. Due process is a good thing. Yes, it's better to have some criminals go free than to have innocent people plucked off the street and carted away for no reason.

I've joked that I prefer Mexico justice to American justice cause in Mexico you just hand the cop 20 bucks and walk away. But I'm not joking anymore. Last night was incredibly disturbing.

Another strike against Mexico.