The cold, pet fashions and settling in.

It\’s been downright awful. The cold, I mean. Everybody here is complaining, and rightfully so. It\’s been down to the 60s at night. Arctic! The other day I went swimming in the outdoor pool and I was worried they were going to call 911 (or its Thai equivalent) to take me away. They didn\’t, but they kept a good distance and wisely avoided eye contact.

Everybody – and I mean everybody – is wearing layers and layers of clothes. The only ones with no coats and barely any clothes are the tourists. Even the expats have the winter look.  So do the pets.

The dogs seem to favor t-shirts and lots of pink, with occasional ruffles. It keeps them in touch with their feminine side I guess. They have special pet clothes stores which would put TJMaxx to shame.

They wander freely through the streets where they get in touch with their friends, check their email at a hydrant or try a croissant at a neighborhood stall but they are not homeless. They are healthy, well fed, well behaved and savvy about the dangers of the road – and not inclined to interact with strangers. Unless they happen to have an extra sandwich.

Then there\’s the cats.

They prefer fleece. Camouflage is a big favorite but they may settle for a feline print should everything else fail. They are cool, casual and clean, and most of them are looking down upon Steve\’s advances. He tries to be their friend but they are not excited. First, he doesn\’t speak Thai and second, he\’s not their person. But he does speak a little cat and he\’s a good scratcher, I\’ve been told.

Then of course, there are the lazy ones who prefer to lay inside in their hammocks watching the world go by. He was lounging in a store window as I passed by. I\’ll call him Chuck.

But enough about pets for now. Let me tell you about our progress. It\’s been another week and we are getting settled.

I god a haircut that makes me look like Ned Stark. Before decapitation. I bought some mystery meat that I made chili from. Nobody wanted anything to do with it. I ate it twice and didn\’t die. Steve has been working on his guitar skills. The neighbors may have complained, but since we don\’t speak Thai we chose to think they were complimenting him. And finally, I will declare us fully furnished after the addition of a decrepit old teak table with matching decrepit chairs for the balcony.

Steve thought I was crazy until he saw what the Thai craftsmen did with it.

We also got a rain-tree bedroom set to replace the old bed that came with the condo and the cardboard boxes we used as side tables.

The rest of the furniture came with the condo – except for the artwork I brought 20 years ago from Romania and never got to frame. Soon now.

That\’s it for now. More next week, if you\’re still with us.

Stay well, have fun and keep in touch will you?

The Joneses