Warm welcomes from Mexico City. I have a Christmas trip to see my family in the Bay Area next month, but otherwise I plan to be here for the remainder of the year. I really enjoy November-January as the pace slows, but also preparing for a transformative start to the coming year. The weather has continued to be exceptional here, but I mentally participate in winter when watching the snow flurries and people stuffed into large coats during college football Saturdays.
Outside of some hamsters which I had a hard time taking care of unassisted as a kid, I’ve never had a pet. No cats or dogs growing up. Of course I wanted something, but it wasn’t allowed in my household. Even though I gained my adult freedom a few decades ago, I’ve never felt the urge/ right timing to get a pet. Traveling and moving on a regular basis made it not even a consideration. That changed two weeks ago.
A month ago my girlfriend and I met a cat at an Airbnb retreat we like to stay at in the woods on the outskirts of Mexico City. The cat came right up to my girlfriend in a very loving manner. The owners of the retreat had been feeding him some saying he’d been living in the woods, but was very friendly to guests. They made a hard push for us to adopt him. We’d been thinking about adopting a cat, but not seriously enough to take action. We talked with our assistant here who said she’d happily cat-sit if we went on any trips, and we found we had a few other backup options if necessary too. We said yes.
Hunter (short for Hunter S. Thompson a writer we like) moved in two Sundays ago, and he seems like he’s very happy. He’s older, the vet estimated around five years old (adults are anything beyond two years), and chill. After a few days we opened our balcony with heavy supervision worrying he might jump after a bird or explore too far, but he just looked outside, and walked back to his favorite couch. It seems like he’s lived long enough in the wild to appreciate a comfortable life. Outside of begging for a bite of meat every time I’m eating (I learned to cook rare and put seasoning on the side), he likes to lay down somewhere near us, sleep, or play with a toy.
Trading has been good. Nothing crazy to report there, just consistent incremental improvements. The amount of things I’m currently working on there is pretty small. Coasting and making small tweaks until the end of the year.
Otherwise I’ve been getting a little healthier, reading this massive epic fantasy series “Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn”, and journaling a lot. Also reading too much gossip on Twitter, but I’m reigning that back in.
Wishing everyone a great Thanksgiving and start to your winter! Leaving you with a few pics of Hunter, and a jazz concert at my friend Ari’s place.
Andrew Manser 