Security & Food Inquiry

It's been a while since my last post and a lot has happened. Scott and I are under contract on a new house in Lutz near the boys' daycare and future schools. We close in a few weeks and we are very excited to have our 'first' house. Only non-first wives will understand the strong desire to get your own house with your husband. It's a special feeling and I think Scott and I both feel it the same way.

Enough of that...on to more exciting things, like making fun of the viejos. I don't know if other Cubans are this way so I can't blame the whole race without further research, but this place is like Fort Knox. There are bars on all the doors and windows and they are always locked. I mean - always! This is supposed to keep out burglars, but the key is hanging by a chain right next to the door. Hopefully there are no thieves reading this or I am in trouble. Scott and I have been sassed, very loudly I might add, on more than one occasion because we left one of the doors open. How can they not remember what I told them 2 hours ago, yet remember to lock the 72 doors before they leave. My aunt and uncle who live 20 feet away don't come over for dinner without locking up their house like they are going away for 2 weeks. I guess there is something to be said for security, but I really don't want to get caught in here during a fire.

As I write this, the boys are eating their dinner. Before the night is out, I guarantee you I will be asked no less than 3 times about their eating for the day. Did they eat lunch? What did they eat for dinner? Did they drink their milk? Ayyyee, they don't eat! Eating is definately a Cuban thing. It's just like that line in My Big Fat Greek Wedding...'you dont eat no meat?.....we make lamb'. Insert "lechon" or "palomilla" and we have the Cuban version of that movie. Everything can be fixed with food and again throwing away food goes against their grain. It doesn't matter if the food in question has been in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, the dog can eat it, or the squirrels can eat it, but it will not go to waste. Cally (our Boxer) has to lose 11 lbs because of this 'don't throw food away' policy. Expiration dates are just guidelines - according to my people, those dates are only put there so that they can sell more. Surree, that mayonnaise is still good. YOU eat it. But again, they've survived and I'm called Flojita. That's ok, I would rather be called Flojita than eat something expired.

PS - I've already been asked one of those food questions as I finished that last paragraph.