Beef with big bones, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, a dash of salt and pepper, some oregano, and aji molido, then voila, after an hour or so, you've got yourself a puchero. Add rice to that and you're on it. I made it today for lunch and it's going for its 3rd servings... Maybe will be even better tomorrow morning or for lunch. Puchero is pretty much a stew, you sauté the garlic and onions, throw in your beef, add some water then toss all your veggies. After its first boil, you then add your seasonings. Wait for it, feel it, once you feel good about it, then it's done. Mine turned out pretty good today. It grabbed the essence of any hole in the wall (more like side street), or someone's kitchen's taste... Only spicier...

In other news, I feel like I'm being more destructive than constructive lately with a person who I just associated with this past month after being away from for years. It really needs to stop. I really need to put a balance. Though it's difficult, it doesn't mean it can't be done. I just told myself that.You really don't want to lose that something special. That too. Just the excitement of being connected again, there has to be another way of handling it if it doesn't make me feel good at the end. I feel like I get into that position several times before and it really needs to change. Back off, distant, just relax. Let it be, let it grow organically and just let it come naturally.

I'm doing a lot and there's a lot of work I have lined up, but I still find myself with a lot of free time. I am enjoying it, the free time, down time, plenty of it but I need to find more better things to do. I need to reconfigure somethings around.

I'm also starting to get caught up with the monotonous rhythm of the pueblo. Sometimes I can go for a good amount of time without noticing it. A whooping 3 weeks. But sometimes it can really drag you down. Sometimes, it can really throw you in a whirlwind/roller coaster of feelings. It can get you sad, bored, frustrated, depressed, all those negative feelings. When that hits you, there's no other way to cope, but to break the cycle. Stepping out, taking a break from the pueblo life, going to the city or visit somebody else's site is the way to go. Mine is coming up next weekend and I cannot wait to get out for a bit. I've been back for a couple of weeks now from vacation, but stepping out after 3 weeks seems to be appropriate at the moment. I love the pueblo life don't get me wrong, but I can only go for a certain period of time at moments. Lately, it's gotten bad that I feel like I have jailed myself in my little brick house. It must be the rain and not being able to go out on the limited places to go to. At the end though, I know I'm gonna look back to this and I know that I'm gonna miss this. Because behind all the challenges of living in the pueblo and life, I can honestly and whole heartedly say that I love my house and I love my life here in Paraguay.