tasking the impossible

They say it is impossible to do more than one task each day in Mexico.

But, they also say falling in love is wonderful -- and they got that wrong. It turns out they were just as incorrect about daily chores in my country.

I am getting ready for a series of trips starting the middle of this month running through April that will take me to three or four (maybe even five) continents. That means I need to tend to some recurring matters. Mainly, financial.

So, here was my plan. I needed to drive to Manzanillo for a dental appointment -- a simple cleaning. While there, I was going to pick up some groceries and household supplies, drop off my dry cleaning, deposit money in my telephone-internet and cellular telephone accounts. And then stop in Cihuatlán to deposit money on my electric account. Eight stops. Multiple tasks.

What could go wrong?

As it turns out, not really anything.

First stop. La Comer. No financial trip is complete without finances. The store has an HSBC ATM that will allow me to withdraw $500 (US) worth of pesos.(Most ATMs have a 6,000 peso limit) Today that was about $9,900. Enough to do what I needed to do. I thought.

With cash in hand, I picked up some vegetables, spices, tea, and hummus (everything that I could buy in San Patricio, but, hey, I was already there). No problems.

Second stop. Walmart. Walmart carries a variety of cherry tomatoes I like. I would never drive to Manzanillo solely to buy them. But, I was there. A couple of cans of soup helped justify the stop.

When I first moved to Mexico, I made a weekly trip to Manzanillo to pick up my mail. When I discovered I was simply wasting money, I rented a Mexican mail box. My need for trips to Manzanillo has diminished to a couple times each year.

Except for chores like stop three. Telmex.

Telmex provides my land line (that I never use) and my internet (that I use world without end). I pay my monthly bill in person, usually, at my local Kiosko. But Kiosko will not accept advance payments and the credit union near my house that once did, no longer does.

So, I drive to Manzanillo. Usually, there is no one in line. That was not true today. But the line moved quickly, and when I walked out, my account was $3,000 (Mx) richer. That will hold me for a few months.

Fourth stop. Sam's Club. With the exception of a few exotic items (like imported cheese), almost everything at Sam's Club is available in San Patricio. The difference is size. My house is essentially a small hotel. We go through cleansers, bleach, Windex, and Pledge like a bed and breakfast -- with a much smaller revenue stream.

Fifth stop. Telcel. My cellular telephone service is one of my lifelines. With the advent of smartphones, I use my mobile connection far more often than my laptop. If I could figure out an efficient way to compose my essays on my telephone, I would drop my landline internet service.

I left $3,000 (Mx) to cover me roaming bill for the next few months.

Sixth stop. My primary reason for driving to Manzanillo -- my dentist. I have a standing appointment for cleaning every six months. This visit was fortuitous.

Earlier in the year, I had broken a tooth cap in Peru. Three dentists made temporary stopgaps. Maybe three months ago, my dentist in Manzanillo tried a more permanent solution. But it loosened.

I asked her if she could repair it. This is Mexico. Of course, she said yes, and did. She also noticed one of my teeth had been chipped. That was an easy fix.

Because Mexican health care is so reasonably-priced, you will not be surprised that the full cost for almost two hours in the chair was $2,000 (Mx) -- about $101 (US). Less money than Telcel or Telmex received.

Seventh stop. Dry cleaner. A shirt and pair of pajamas. Ready tomorrow. $145 (Mx). About $7 (US).

Mission accomplished. Seven stops in three hours.

Yes. Yes. I hear you in the back row. What about my stop in Cihuatlán to deposit funds in my electricity account?

If you have been adding up the pesos I spent, you will already know the answer. I was going to deposit $6,000 (Mx), but I no longer had that many pesos in my wallet.

Cihuatlán is close enough for me to tap an ATM tomorrow or later in the week and drive the few miles to the power office. I do not fly from Mexico for just over a week.

I am now sitting by the ocean listening to the waves and some soft jazz. And it is with a certain sense of hubris that I aver "they," once again, are wrong.

It is possible to accomplish a northern-sized to-do list in Mexico. Sometimes.

Wasn't it Prometheus who said: "Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad"?

I may find out. There is still one task to accomplish.