Friday May 31, 2013

Friday May 31, 2013  update #469

I tried out a curved memory foam pillow we had, higher and firmer than my normal pillow, but all that gave me was a sleepless night.  I got up at 3:15 and before sunrise had done my laundry and updated my Garmin Maps.  The sky and clouds were so tinged dark blue above the Rockies that I had to take a shot for you.  It is still drizzly and cool but it is always nice when we get a view of the mountains.

I also got into cleaning up this slow computer and in the process discovered a free VPN download via Cnet. 

I hoped like heck this would work well here but this computer is just too slow for any streaming content and I can’t stand a program that tries to take over everything, adding search tool-bars, etc.   I just wasted my time and uninstalled it.

About 9am I went and crashed until noon before getting up again and trying to feel somewhat reasonable.  I met Leonie at the Royal Bank and picked up some money to take to Mom.   Then I headed to the CIBC to throw some money on our credit card bill.

Next I stopped at Ardiel’s to see if I would be able to renew my Driver’s Licence which isn’t due Until January and I was surprised when they said yes…  Driver’s Licence pictures rank just a cut above passport photos, but not by much.   The say I should get the real thing in 2 weeks.

I still had some time to kill so I stopped in at McFarlane’s, my old job, but most of the main folks were not around.   I will stop in again when I get back from Edmonton.

Then it was off to shopping with our good friend Mavis at Costco.   I had mentally set myself a limit of $100 to spend there, so I was quite pleased with myself when the bill was $104, after the 5% GST!   I then stopped in at Safeway to pick up a couple of items for Bella before heading home.    

Mavis had done a few more shopping errands before coming to pick me up and take me for supper at the Duke, the hotel formerly known as the Willy.  Fish and Chips were the special and they did not disappoint.  That was one of the things on my Bucket List to do while in Canada and I hope to repeat that before I leave.

We returned home and paid a quick visit to Ted and Janet next door, the stalwarts of the neighbourhood, who both look tremendous for being in their late 80’s.  Mavis knows them well from all their church activities together.

Mavis then came in for a bit to chat while we played 3 hands of Cribbage.  I found it amusing that in her English upbringing they call the Crib “the box”, and instead of saying “go”, they say “no”.  Mavis is such delightful company and we also went through some of our photos since she was there in November, because I have brought my external hard drive with me.

Hope to hit the sack somewhat early tonight, but doubt that will happen.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Thursday May 30, 2013

Thursday May 30, 2013  update #468

We all collapsed into bed last night after a very exhausting day but happy that Mom has reached another huge milestone in her life, 97 years on this planet and still looking very fit.

We had our alarms set for 7am as Lou was determined to be on the road by 9am.  I made a quick breakfast per their instructions and they managed to get away earlier as a result.  They are always gracious guests and we enjoy their company.   Time just kep escaping us since we only managed to play cards for about an hour one night.

One they left I decided to tackle cleaning out the garage of the winter dirt, etc.  I literally shoveled piles to the door, then swept and scooped it all up before firing up the pressure washer to complete the job.  Then I continued and washed down the front of the house.

The neighbours probably thought I was nuts, washing my car in the drizzle, but the car needed a quick wash and wipe down to remove a couple of years of grime.   There really was a white Buick under all that dirt!

I realized how much I really missed having the convenience of a vehicle, although I am really hesitant to drive far considering the gas prices are almost 4 times what they are in Ecuador.   I also rearranged a few things in the garage so I could get at my work bench.  I still know where everything is and managed to repair a few things, including the little wind sock that is attached to our tiny tree.  It is incredible to contemplate the amount of “stuff” we have spread throughout the house and garage.   I would love to bring so much “stuff” to Ecuador but we really don’t have room to put most of it.

We got news that Germain and family have made it home safely and we wish the same result for Lou and Yvette and Fern and Eileen as they have departed today.

Debbie stopped in to finish her packing to head to Hawaii with her family.   I am jealous because I have never been there.   Some day… Just add it to the list…

I decided to get out of the house and scout out a small boom-box for Mom that will play CD’s so she can listen to her beloved Daniel O’Donnell.   I didn’t see much at Canadian Tire so I went to The Source (Radio Shack) next and found exactly what I was seeking, and it was on sale so I grabbed it.  I also found an Epson printer/scanner on sale for $40 so I grabbed that too.  The darn cartridges are $60 so it is cheaper to buy the whole new unit!   Anyway, I was quite pleased with my outing and the new printer works really well.  I used it to make some simple instructions which I taped to the new boom-box.  

I then called Mom to see if it would be OK if I came in the morning but she said she preferred if I came tonight so I went right over.  I don’t think I could make anything any simpler for her, with no complicated electronics, and 3 simple instructions:  Install CD, Play, Stop…..   She is so resistant to anything new but I am hoping her desire to listen to her beloved Daniel O’Donnell will take precedence and she can just hit Play….

Her late husband’s son, Paul, came over for a delightful visit as well so it was a good evening overall.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Wednesday May 29, 2013

Wednesday May 29, 2013  update #467

This morning I got another Eleggant Hooks order ready for mailing and cleaned up our “production” area downstairs.   Now it will be easy to find everything we need to process orders.

Yvette asked me to doctor up one of the photos from the wedding with our attending family and spouses.  I did a few touch-ups, removing glare, etc and changing the sky from grey to blue. 

Then I had to try to make a nice birthday card for Mom using only my laser printer.   The result was actually pretty good using a photo of Mom taken only a few days ago.    If anyone wants my color HP printer just say the word, because it will be junked on the weekend.   I never did like that darn printer that was always trying to out-think me and wasted so much of my paper, ink, etc.!

The time went so quickly and we wanted to leave about 2pm so I could stop at the Post Office then go to Costco for gas.  Lou has a Costco card but they wouldn’t take my American cash so Lou took my $80 and put it on his American Express card.   He gains 4c on the transaction and I don’t lose about 6c on the usual exchange.  Lou and Yvette are headed home via the US in the morning anyway.   My gas gauge was on the red line and my tank is about 70 litres and the gas was$1.249 so I figured it would take $80 easily.   Well I squeezed in $79.97 and decided that was close enough.

We then headed in to spend some time with Mom before jumping in the Buick for the short trip to the Boston Pizza at Avenida.  Fern, Eileen and Leslie were already there and Leonie and Brian pulled in right behind us.  Karen joined us a few moments later so we were 10 around the table.   Mom had suggested Boston Pizza so she could have her favourite “Meateor” pizza.   A good time was had by all.

Happy 97^th Birthday Mom.   We are proud of you!

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al  

Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Tuesday May 28, 2013

Tuesday May 28, 2013  update #466

After getting to bed at 2:30am I wasn’t too swift today but I still was determined to tackle a few chores delegated to me by Bella.   We needed to sort out a few matters for our Eleggant Hooks so we would have enough of everything to sell as we wind down the company.

There were about 1,000 hooks to be cut down to a proper length so I vised in one arm of my little bolt cutter and went to work.   That left my two arms free to feed the jaws with the left hand while I pushed the cutter with the other.   Once I got into the rhythm, and then got good at estimating the proper length required, it was moving quite quickly but my arm was sure tired by the time I finished.

By then Lou and Yvette had returned from lunch and Yvette came to help me rip apart a lot of the kits with odd-sized hooks that Bella had put together.   It broke my heart to undo all the many hours of work that poor Bella had invested in doing all these extra kits but the fact is we need those odd-sized hooks to sell on the website.  Without those extra sizes available our business would dwindle down to nothing. 

We took a break for an unusual Tuesday night Wing Night, this time at Original Joe’s.   The wings are just as good as at Foxy’s and are less money.  I really enjoy those weekly get-togethers with the old gang.

Once we got home Yvette and I got cracking again and then we drafted Lou into helping.   Debbie arrived home and she got drafted too.  Slave labour is necessary to get anything accomplished so they were grumbling that they wanted fifteen an hour for their hard work so I begrudgingly agreed to the fifteen cents per hour.

Anyway, we can hardly move, or see, late this evening but we finished the tasks and can breathe a lot easier now.  We have 2 boxes ready to go to our hideaway in Idaho and I have to now make arrangements with our “mules” to get them across the border.

Also I have to concentrate on getting a Birthday card ready for my Mom’s 97^th tomorrow and all I have available is my BW laser printer.  That should be a real challenge to get a decent result.    It is going to have to wait until the morning because I just couldn't do it any justice tonight.

I am going to junk my other GD HP color printer that dictates how often you have to buy their over-priced half-empty colour cartridges or the damned thing won't operate.   Somebody kick me if I ever buy another damn HP!  They are the biggest rip-off artists on the planet.

Anyway, I am tired and cranky and it is time to head for a soft bed.

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al  
Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Monday May 27, 2013

Monday May 27, 2013  update #465

I have been having a lot of trouble lately with friends not getting my emails.   I suddenly realized they all seem to be on Shaw.ca.   I Googled the Shaw site and it appears they have been having this problem all month (and I suspect a lot longer than that too) and they claim to have a solution, but obviously not…..  They admit to losing most incoming emails and are not overly apologetic about it either.   Good grief!   People are running businesses and need a reliable email provider.   If you are on Shaw, and are getting emails from me (or not!), please let me know.

I started off the morning by packaging a few orders for Eleggant Hooks and had to phone Bella for advice on how to replenish our optional hooks since a couple of the bins are empty after today’s orders.    Bella has sent me a long, convoluted way to do this so I will try to figure that out in the morning when my brain may be able to decipher the orders from headquarters.

Next I zipped in to Calgary to meet Bella’s brother Laurier’s wife Wendy at the Timmy’s at Avenida Shopping Center.  Gosh Wendy looked great.   I think I gained all the weight that she has lost.   We were having a lovely visit when I look up to see my brother Fern coming in the door.  Fern lives about 80 kms from Laurier and Wendy on Vancouver Island. 

We were trying to time everything so Fern and I could visit Mom at 3pm when she gets up from her rest.  Mom was waiting for us and almost broke down with tears of joy when we both came in.   Mom knew that Yvette, Lou and I were going to Leonie & Brian’s for supper so she hinted that she would like to come along.  My big Buick is her favorite because it is so easy for her to enter and exit and she doesn’t get out very often so we told her to get ready for the trip.   I called Leonie to give her a heads-up to add one more plate and off we went.  Yvette and Lou were sure surprised to hear that we had this extra special extra passenger.  We actually made it to Leonie’s, west of High River shortly after 5pm and there was one of those huge funnel-type rainstorm clouds hanging just in front of the Rockies.  Naturally the camera was out to record this along with all the neat things in Leonie’s yard.  I love going out there just for the sights.   I love the old stone shack on Ian Tyson’s property down the road where he goes to meditate and write songs.

Brian cooked up an enormous chicken feast (he usually does wild meat, deer, bear and the like) and we really enjoyed ourselves and overate like usual.  Nicole and Jeff and their three cute girls joined us and we had a lot of laughs.   Brian showed off the custom knives he made as wedding presents for Bryna and Dan.  I am a big fan of the Damascus steel blades that he fashions to a razor-sharp edge.

Mom was getting tired so we departed about 8pm and she commented on the long one-hour drive back.   I pointed out that dear Leonie makes that trek every Sunday to spend time with her but I am not sure that registered.  Mom is really tough on Leonie, who is the sole family member in the area now, and it really isn’t fair, but oncoming dementia signs are creeping in periodically.  On the good side, Mom had a wonderful outing, behaved herself, and she looks fabulous for being two days shy of age 97.

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my new 15-85 lens?  This lens is incredible and doesn’t blow very many shots at all.

I was up until 2;30 processing the photos but didn’t have the stamina to stay up and finish the Blog, so my apologies for the lateness.

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Sunday May 26, 2013

Sunday May 26, 2013  update #464

We were up early today to run into Calgary to meet all the family for brunch at Swiss Chalet at 11am.   It sure was nice to see all the family except the youngest, Normand, who had work commitments in Saskatchewan.   Germain, Billy-Jo and Deanna were going to head towards Jasper and see if would be possible to camp around there, otherwise they would just head home to Saskatoon.  Laurent & Cathy had also intended to stay around for a day or so but their grand-daughter wasn’t going to make home until real late so they headed home to Medicine Hat.  Yvette & Lou, and fern & Eileen, are intending to depart on Thursday after we celebrate Mom’s 97^th on Wednesday.

After brunch we came back home and I immediately went to work on processing 152 photos.  I have save the RAW files for doing a proper job once I get back home but, for now, I have just worked on the JPG’s so everyone can see the photos.

Lou and Yvette and Fern went back to see mom at 3pm and apparently she was in a pretty good mood, so that is a positive.  Lou and Yvette returned with a few groceries to replenish what we have used of Debbie’s.

I am exhausted, so this will probably be a very early night.  

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Saturday May 25, 2013 The wedding

Saturday May 25, 2013  update #463

I downloaded Picasa to see if I would be able to process the RAW shots but it is just terrible.   It is so slow and really has so few options that it was just wasting my time.

We stopped at Timmy’s for a quick bite before going to the wedding at St. Michael’s in Black Diamond.  Bryna was just radiant today, but then she always is with her ready smile and hearty laugh. 

Today, at age 30, she married long-time boyfriend Dan Ronald.   The priest was the same age as them, being a classmate of Dan’s at Holy Trinity, and he had us in stitches with his candour.   It is not often that you hear a priest admit that he has to work with folks sometimes that he doesn’t like!  Our little great-nieces Erin and Emma were a hit as the cute flowergirls.

The reception was at the beautiful Dewinton Community Hall and I shouldn’t have been surprised to find my old clients, Harry and Martina of Hansel & Gretel’s Catering, were there to serve the supper. 

The reception didn’t hold many surprises, but there was a great slideshow of both the bride and groom growing up which was a trip down memory lane.    The DJ was very good and the music was very loud as befits a crowd of young people.   My Mom didn’t feel up to coming to the wedding or reception and that is good, she would just have complained about the loudness.   As it was most of the older folks departed very early, even me, after I danced a couple of dances with my sister Leonie.

That was the day's excitement.   Cheers, Al    Please see all new photos at

http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Saturday May 25, 2013

Saturday May 25, 2013  update #462

I awoke this morning to a strange feeling.   It was extremely light and quieter this morning and I could only hope it was for the right reasons.  Yes, the rain had stopped, the sun was attempting to shine through the clouds and YES, we could actually see the Rockies this morning!  Oh what a feeling!

Lou and I were up early to go for breakfast before going to the famous Okotoks Collector Car Auction which has been happening for over 40 years.  I remember going in 1977 with John Gilbert in his ’58 Fairlane retractable hardtop which garnered a lot of Looky-Lou’s.

It was kinda nice to get in at the senior’s rate of $7.  Grey hair does have its advantages.  Lou is quite a car buff  while I am more of a car buffoon these days.  Once upon a time I could guess the year and make of a vehicle at night just by its oncoming headlights and marker lamps.  Not today though, they all seem to look alike, with monochrome paint jobs and no style whatever.   My favorite cars are easily from the 30’s mostly, with running boards, lake pipes, skirts, rumble seats, etc.   Give me a Packard or a Duesenberg and I’d be in heaven.

The show today had a lot of the usual suspects with most of the vehicle offerings being from the 60’s and 70’s, mostly rebuilt muscle cars.  It is always fun to see a beautiful stock vehicle with original paint and equipment.

Some of the vehicles were auctioned for way less than we thought and many for way more, like a 66 Parisienne for about $15,000.  We figured it would go for around $6,000….  Glad it wasn’t our money being spent.

I was disappointed not to see more people that I knew from town.   This event attracts people from everywhere, sellers, buyers and aficionados.

We have the wedding later today but I doubt I will get much processed until late tomorrow so we will just put that on hold and get out this Blog early today.

Note the photos of the cars are right from the camera in JPG mode in the interest of expediency.

My present software won’t handle RAW photos so I am going to try to download Picasa because I think that may be my only option here.   I will take the wedding photos in both formats.

That was the day's excitement.  Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Friday May 24, 2013

Friday May 24, 2013  update #461

Today was a day filled with great anticipation as I awaited the delivery of the new 15-85 lens.   I waited until almost 2pm before checking the mailbox as I had a suspicion they would just drop off a card and not do a delivery to the door.  Well I was correct so we had to drive to the Southridge Post Office and get it.   I would like to say it was worth the wait but I am kicking myself for not getting it sooner, it is magnificent and I can’t wait to put it through its paces, especially tomorrow at the wedding.

I fooled around with the two remote controls and will need more practice with that, especially when the instructions are in Japanese-style English.   Lou is jealous of the wide end of the lens, although that is one thing that surprised me.  It is 72mm and I had honestly thought that the width was 58mm like the other 2 lenses….   Now I have all the wrong close-up lenses and other filters….

Bella wrote to say that she discovered a tooth problem with Pancho now so he is going in for a cleaning and maybe some extractions.   I hope he doesn’t end up toothless like poor Peso.

Lou and Yvette are off to visit friends they worked with in the High River Campground tonight while I was off to visit with friends at the Regal Beagle in Kensington in Calgary.   Road construction on Crowchild held me up and even taking another route caused me to be 10 minutes late, but I was still the first one there.  Keith showed up shortly therafter while we waited for Shannon and James to join us.  They had had car trouble and had kept in contact with Keith.   They had set the place and time for our get-together about 20 blocks from their home and then ended up not showing up at all.  I had come 45 kms so I was not too impressed with them.  Anyway, Keith is always good company so we had a good time in spite of the poor food service at the Regal Beagle.  We retired to Keith’s place for a bit and had a good chat with Bill Lemieux from upstairs.   I have been invited back for a BBQ on the 16^th.

The forecast continues to be awful for the next 5 days so we will have to make the best  of  things for Bryna’s wedding tomorrow.   Rain, rain, GO AWAY!

Sorry, since our meet-up tonight was a bust there were no photos taken.   I had only taken practice photos during the day with the new lens and they certainly weren’t anything worth posting.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al  

Thursday May 23, 2013

Thursday May 23, 2013  update #460

Bella told me that Pancho has been moping around the house, whining and looking for me.  It is nice to be missed.

The rain was relentless today so we just got caught up on things and had some breakfast sausage for brekkie then delicious corn on the cob for lunch.   Lou was showing off his “hat with hair” which is really hilarious.

I had meant to pop in to the Post Office to see what procedures they will use for my parcel tomorrow but I turned the wrong way without thinking.

We drove into Calgary to see Mom for 3pm and had a nice visit before going to visit with my brother Germain, his wife Billy-Jo and her daughter Deanna.   We had quite a few laughs, mostly at the expense of poor Stinkerbell, Billy’s 13 year-old deaf Chihuahua.    Germain said he felt it was cruelty to animals for owners to dress up their dogs in silly costumes, etc, and yet I had to admit Stinkerbell looked great in a Sou’wester!

Then we went to Chianti’s for a delicious meal before making it home.

Plans are already set for most of us for tomorrow evening to go into Calgary to meet old friends.

I think we are playing cards in a few minutes so I have to rush….

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Wednesday May 22, 2013

Wednesday May 22, 2013  update #459

Well I didn’t get lost and after 26 hours of travel I finally made it home to my welcome bed in Okotoks.  Really there were no hiccups en route, just a slightly late plane from Dallas-Fort Worth which the pilots tried to make up on the way to Calgary.   We arrived only 15 minutes late and I rushed to meet my ride only 10 minutes late.

I slept really good that night and tonight, again exhaustion simply taking over.

The weather here is dreary and drizzly wet and I understand the river levels are dangerously high here.   We certainly don’t want a repeat of the 2005 flood when the heavens opened the day after we moved into this house.   It is disappointing so far to not see the Rockies nor my deer friends.   The rain is supposed to continue until Saturday so we hope it clears up in time for Bryna’s wedding.   We have seen Prairie Chickens, the same couple that return here every year, but no chicks yet.   I also spotted a squirrel which is something new for this neighbourhood.

I had many chores to attend to right away, mailing some important papers for Mark & Karen, picking up mail, getting royally screwed on money exchange at the bank, depositing money on the credit card, getting a US money order to pay New York taxes, etc.   The crooks at the Bank take the US cash I have convert it to Canadian, keeping about 6% royalty, then convert it back to a US money order, again keeping about a 6% royalty.   Buy Canadian Bank stocks, these turds make a fortune!

I also had to hit the Dollar Store to pick up a few items.   Boy I sure missed that convenience in Ecuador.

I picked up a few groceries so that we would have something to munch on here because the fridge is pretty bare.

My brother Fern had mentioned that he stops at a 7-11 when he goes to the US and gets a Go-Phone really cheap so he can have some form of mobile communication.   I dread the thought of traveling without a cel phone so I gave it a try.  I picked up a cheap but fancy phone for $59 and added $25 of airtime that is good for 365 days so it will be useful for when Bella arrives here in November too. 

I went to the Southridge Post Office and refused acceptance of the package of the wrong lens that was sent to me as instructed.  Today I have to go to the Downtown Post Office to see if I can arrange to get the proper lens tomorrow when it arrives.

I am making appointments already to meet several people during my stay here.   It is always a juggling act to try to mesh schedules with everyone.

Yvette & Lou had called when they reached Canmore that they would just meet us all at Foxy’s for our Okotoks group’s usual Wing night, which they did.  It was so nice to see Gord (Em is sick with a hacking cough), Margaret & Frank, and Paul & Jackie.  Jackie had just retired yesterday from McFarlane Agencies and her smile was wall to wall.   It is still so nice that this group has maintained this get-together all these years.

When we returned home it was nice to see Debbie, our house-sitter, who I haven’t talked to in person since we left for Ecuador.   We all had a good chat and a few laughs before we headed downstairs.

I took a few photos with the new 75-300 lens and crossed my fingers that my version of PhotoShop Elements 6 would handle the RAW files but no such luck.   It does not recognize Canon’s RAW CR2 extension and I could not find any way around it, yet.   I really hate to have to take photos in JPG mode, especially the wedding photos.  I think I will take those in RAW and just wait to process those when I get back to Ecuador…   this computer is so darn slow, and the fan starts to give an annoying whine that gives me a headache….

Something is wrong with our cable connection because the feed to the big TV is really poor.  It works just great with a DVD but not with the cable.   We moved cables, even bypassing the VHS, changed splitters with no change.   Also, the stereo we have hooked up will not shut off!   If we shut it off, it restarts itself in Demo mode within 10 seconds and has annoying lights flashing like crazy.   It was easier just to leave it on the setting Aux 2 for use with the DVD because then there was only 1 light on.  This crazy combination has me thinking that maybe a lightning strike has fried some electrical and that we will never solve the issues….

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Monday May 20, 2013

Monday May 20, 2013  update #458

Today is a catch-up day for Bella and a final packing day for me.   I am trying to kill some time in the long day so I started by uploading more photos for sale.  Sooner or later I will have to start into my 2014 shots to replenish my work for sale.

It was raining on and off all morning so I watched a shoot-em-up movie then, in the afternoon, decided to head downtown again to see if that DG Artes store on Calle Larga was open.   This was our third try in 4 days and still no luck.   So I took a leisurely stroll down the Escalinata to the south side to catch the #15 home.   I was impressed that a bus driver actually waited for me to cross the road to catch the bus and I thanked him profusely.   I got off by the Monay Mall and walked down the hill just for the exercise. 

As I was crossing the river I saw a fisherman at work with a seine so I caught a few sequences of his throw.   He never caught anything while I was watching.   I am sure the trout were shy.

I had meant to stop at Coral to pick up some munchies for the bus ride but of course I forgot so I had to stop at one of my local tienda grocery stores to pick up some cookies and chocolate.   At one store, the teen was so engrossed in a video game he wasn’t even watching the counter, even though I stopped there twice.   You snooze, you lose.

So later I will shower ans be ready to catch a cab sometime after 10 to the bus station.   I probably will be lucky to arrive home in Okotoks tomorrow night by midnight.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Sunday May 19, 2013

Sunday May 19, 2013  update #457

Bella is off to Bridge again today and keeps getting disappointed by the people who say they are coming but who don’t show up.   

I was up early enough to get cracking at my laundry, etc. so I’ll be ready for the trip tomorrow night.

Turning on the computer was not a good experience this morning because the first message was from the folks I bought my new lens from, Merkle Camera in Toronto.   They are asking me if maybe they sent me an 18-200 by mistake!!  Then they wanted to send me a label so I can send it on to the rightful purchaser…   I replied that they better have sent me the right lens because I need to photograph a wedding on May 25!   I checked the tracking and the lens has reached Calgary by Canada Post.  This has sure ruined my good mood in a hurry.    I mean this email has no apology for not sending me the right lens,… nothing!    Now, in a subsequent email he says he wants me to refuse the first package and he will send me the right 15-85 lens by Friday, IF HE CAN FIND ONE!!!    Doesn’t that just give us the warm fuzzies……

Since the gorgeous morning was clouding over quickly I decided to upload more works for sale even though weekends are very slow for views.  It was a good decision because it rained heavily for about 10 minutes just as I was finishing.

The rain did not stop some sort of holiday celebrations going on in the neighbourhood.   Someone had been chattering on a bullhorn for hours already.   I had hoped to check it out but they must have stopped for church, or because of the recurring rain.

I am almost packed now which is really simple because I am not really taking much with me.  I am actually putting my sling bag plus my carry-on inside my big suitcase otherwise it would just get crushed in transit.  I am not looking forward to being stuck in tight seating for 25 hours starting tomorrow night.

Sorry no photos today as I concentrated on the upcoming trip.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   

Saturday May 18, 2013

Saturday May 18, 2013  update #456

Bella is having a stay-at-home day, getting caught up on her hobbies.   She is sitting under her mist fan, which I had not seen in operation until today and it really delivers as advertised!   Bella made another of the crocheted cowboy booties for babies so you will get to see it today.  

I was only planning to slip downtown to see if that art place was open then continue on to Joe’s.  However I got a call from my little language buddy, Juan, and the plans changed.   I showered and shaved while he drove over to get me and then we went to the art place only to find it closed again.    We decided to do a little walking around El Centro.

As we passed the church a couple of blocks north of the Coffee Tree I mentioned that I thought it was supposed to be a museum but I had never found it open.   Juan said the religious museum was on the far back side so we went to check it out.   It turns out it is “museum day” so entry to all the museums was free today so we wandered through.  Some of the old photographs from the nunnery were spectacular.   In many rooms they had photos of the nuns working with very old implements, and these old implements were actually on display in front of the photograph.   I though it was an ingenious way to display these.

We then wandered downtown to find the Old Cathedral closed and then surprisingly, also the big Cathedral too!   I had never ever seen Immaculate Conception closed, especially not at 4pm.   Very unusual.

After wandering back through the San Francisco market we made our way back to Calle Larga and checked out the Remigio Crespo Toral museum.  There was one statue that was so lifelike I wanted to talk to it.   I had seen most of the exhibit before, especially the old tile map of early Cuenca on the floor.   One of the tiles showed the hanging tree and I am sure I never noticed that part of it before.

Then we went over to Joe’s where Juan renewed acquaintances with my old friends Jim Mola and Chris and Bettye Petersen who he had met before in his travels with me.  Juan is a likeable little guy and just laughed when I introduced him as my boyfriend.  He and I sat with Alex from Romania and Irma from New Orleans (but Cuenca-born).  Juan was pleased to have someone to converse with in Spanish.   The meal was tasty and everyone ate more than their fill.  Alex figures he ate two whole chickens and I figured Juan ate three!   I kept looking under his chair to see where he was putting all that food!  I am sure he ate his own weight in pollo tonight.  Alex had bought a bottle of wine and served everyone, and Juan had 3 glasses of wine to boot.    I laughed on the way home when Juan said he was heading home to sleep.   Small wonder!

I will be posting 2 photo blogs tonight, one for the museums, etc, and one separately for Joe’s.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Friday May 17, 2013

Friday May 17, 2013  update #455

Again I was up early and working on things before crashing back to bed.

Bella was off to the weaving store with her newest baby booties made like cowboy boots.   She left them there so I did not get any photos unfortunately.

I uploaded possibly my final set of photos for sale before I head to Canada, although I may have time to upload another set on Monday.   I don’t bother on the weekends because they just don’t get the views then.

I dug out my fancy suitcase and tried to re-mould the corner where the baggage handling morons had broken a hole through the fiberglass.   Good old duct tape to the rescue once again.   Slowly but surely I will get packed before Monday night.

I caught up a little with my Clancy book to while away the afternoon before we headed downtown.   Our bus driver took us half-way, then got out of the bus, checked the back tire and got on his phone.    It was obvious we were not going anywhere soon so we just got off and hailed a taxi.   I could not see anything obviously wrong with the tire  but we couldn’t hang around forever, we were people on the move!

We headed first to the art store where we bought the figures on our living room wall.   Because of the configuration of the new furniture we really do need 2 more figures to balance things properly.   Unfortunately the store was not open since this fellow definitely determines his own hours.

Next on the agenda was to drop off the 9 movies I had borrowed from Carolina Bookstore.   We didn’t watch all of them and at least 3 were in Spanish.  We were also meeting the purchaser of my Projector, a fellow who was buying it as a gift for his wife at the bookstore.   Everything went as planned and we headed to the south side to the Chill Grill for burgers and to meet with Karen.and Mark. 

I got a few shots of activities in Parque De La Madre on the way by.   There were many gazebo tents set up, all empty, so there must be something happening there tomorrow.

Mark has agreed to take my place as the photographer for Joe’s while I am away, and I OK’d that with Joseph.   The instructions aren’t too difficult and Mark is a professional.   I tried the Chill Grill burger this time and it was much better than the Ranch burger I had last time.   Oddly all they had to drink was pop, ….no juice, beer, or even ice.   Very strange indeed.

I want to take this time to thank my faithful Blog followers.  There seems to be a core of 25 for this one, about 35 that follow the photos, and I also get an average of 55 hits a day on my Cuenca Residency blog.   THANK YOU ALL.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Thursday May 16, 2013

Thursday May 16, 2013  update #454

Happy 13^th Birthday Danai!!!

Bella hasn’t budged today, this is her day of rest.

I gave away the Canon Battery and Charger that my son Todd had found in Edmonton.  It didn’t fit my camera as we thought it might and I had tried selling it a few weeks back without success.  However everyone wants something for free.   The lady who took it lives on the other side of the river and knows our cat-sitter.

I am getting bites on my ad for the Projector so I hope it goes quickly and I can breathe easier about all the camera equipment I have bought.   I really hate to let it go but realize my uses for it will be extremely limited, and I do need the money now.

I slipped out to OperAzuay to see the latest their vans leave on Monday night.   The lady said 9pm, meaning I’ll be sitting in the airport for 7 hours, no thank you.   I stepped out and spotted the #7 bus at the corner so I caught that to the bus depot.   They have buses leaving right until 1am but I would need to catch the 11pm bus to arrive at 3am.  Because the flight leaves at 7am I need arrive prior to 4am, so that is the best I can do, and the bus is only $8.   This means a travel odyssey of over 25 hours probably, oh joy…..

Leaving the bus station and walking over to Huayna Capac I ran across a few interesting sights.   First was a hoop street performer, then a chopper-style moped (I want one of those), then a flower arrangement made to resemble a puppy, just too cute.   

Oh, and the menacing skies were a treat, one that we have learned to mostly ignore.   I was wrong yesterday, the river is down closer to 2 feet so we could hope those clouds break open in the Cajas and fill up the rivers again.

The back of San Blas may not be quite as interesting as the front but that yellow dome is still a sight to behold. 

Chili for supper, then a good movie is again on tap for tonight.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Wednesday May 15, 2013

Wednesday May 15, 2013  update #453

I was up at 5am and back to bed for a couple of hours at 8:30.   My mind got rolling on a few things I need for the trip home so I took care of those things, like car insurance, so I could rest.

Bella was up early and off to arrange for her new Cedula.   Most of her worries about having to get new documents were for naught as it is going to be treated just like a renewal.   The she was off again to her Bridge Club.   She needs some dedicated bridge players to come every Wednesday and Sunday or this Club will be folding soon.   It is so sad because she has worked so hard to help a lot of people, but unfortunately most of these older folks don’t retain things well, and that frustrates her.

I slipped up to Coral to get a new mouse for my computer because the last one got too loose and started doing stuff on its own.    I picked up what I though was a nice one but found it had the old round green connection.   My computer accepts this connection too but the mouse wouldn’t work because it is not compatible with XP, so I exchanged it on my way downtown.

On my walks across the river I have noticed how low the river is.   We have an extremely blustery day today but almost no moisture resulted from it.

As I was waiting for the bus I left a message for the people at Fundacion Avancar that I was on my way to pick up the Gift Certificate I had won for dessert and coffee for two somewhere.  Just as I sat down on the bus she called back to say they are only open from 9-1, and it was now 3:30.  Oh well, so I got off at San Francisco and went window shopping for a while.  Around 5pm the sky was spitting so I began my trek to La Vina to meet Bella for supper.   Bella actually arrived early and we ordered our pizzas, the best in town.  This little girl, a relative of the owners that we had met before kept circling us and waiting for me to take out my camera so she could pose.  She is ½ Colombian and is so very cute and sweet.

As we finished up another couple, Tony and his wife Marty, from Ohio sat near us so we chatted a long time.  They are very serious about moving soon and their ears really perked up when they heard the interest rates a person can obtain here, and our real estate prices.   I think we got some new converts because they are world travelers and they can understand other cultures so they would do well here.

I was disappointed to discover that 3 of the 5 artworks of mine that were bought last month were returned so I did not get paid as much as expected.  It is funny that Fine Art America did not say anything to me at all, so I assume the problem stemmed from their processing.

This means that the money I need to pay for the new lens is going to come up short.  Recently I had bought a micro projector that I was intending to use for Hearts Of Gold but I noticed they had a really good projector they had borrowed for yesterday’s meeting.   So…. as much as I love this little projector, it really would have gotten so little use that it is going on the block to allow me to complete my camera equipment purchases.   I just hope everything is there waiting for me when I arrive back in Okotoks.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Tuesday May 14, 2013

Tuesday May 14, 2013  update #452

Bella was off to the Book Exchange and to do chores.   I also gave her the phone number to pick up the dessert and coffee for 2 that I had won at the Fundacion Avancar Mural evening, if she has time.

I was intent on bidding for a new EF 15-85 USM lens that I have been craving for months.  The difference between buying a used one vs a new one is only $30-$40  so she rightfully suggested that a new one is a much better option.   I tried bidding at the last moment but got beat out by $10.   I found another new one that I could buy right away at a comparable price but decided to wait a moment to see if something would shake out of the woodwork.   I made a comment when I refused a counter-offer from another site that had refused my offer.    This one was used, but came with a few optional items so it was tempting, but I told them their discount wasn’t enough since a new one was available for just a few dollars more.

Then, lo and behold, I was given a second chance to bid and accept the prior new item because the other bidder wasn’t able to complete the transaction.  I hate having to pay the darn GST on top of it but I am really glad that hopefully this lens will be waiting for me when I return to Canada in a week.

Then it was off to Hearts Of Gold for another productive meeting.   We have new strategies and sources for the present School Drive and hopefully enough bodies in the area to keep it running.   It seems all the major players are gone at different times during the next 3 months.

Tarek gave us a nice dissertation on how to help HoG get its message out on social media.  It helps to have technically efficient people on the payroll.

Our couches look very nice in the living room at HoG and they are greatly appreciated by the staff.

No other photos today so I will just post this one here.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   

Monday May 13, 2013

Monday May 13, 2013  update #451

I had Hearts Of Gold deliver me the bid sheets from the April 13^th Silent Auction so we could determine what products or services did better than others, etc.   I spent most of the day doing the spreadsheet with breakdowns and percentages but there were few surprises.  The items that sold over retail prices were mainly food items and spices that did not bring in a great deal of money.   Many items did well with the Buy-It-Now feature although we probably expected more so that will be an item for discussion next year for sure.   The bottom line is that we probably averaged around 42% of retail overall which is understandable when we are dealing with retired folks on limited incomes.  Not too many big ticket items brought in more than 30% so that dragged the percentages down quite a bit.

I then had to follow that up with a plan of attack as Event Coordinator for our current Back To School drive.  It is an online drive to raise $6,150 to give 123 kids 2 pairs of shoes and their initial school supplies.  It is an ambitious number to raise but we are off to a good start.    Our main problem is a short timeline to be completed by July 5 and then we have to deal with most of our volunteers being gone during this period, including me.  

The tree directly in front our house is almost free of leaves as we are in the middle of our fall season.   Last year it only seemed to take about a week before the new leaves were sprouting again.   It is kinda different having a spring, a fall, and 2 summers, but we will live with it, lol.

I have been so busy with all this paperwork that I haven’t even stuck my head out the door, so sorry, no pictures today.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   

Sunday May 12, 2013

Sunday May 12, 2013  update #450

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all you Mothers out there.   You know who you are, lol…

Bella had won a “breakfast” at the Bingo on Tuesday at the Oro Verde Hotel that they told us only opens at noon so we went there for a Mother’s Day brunch before she had to scoot off to her Bridge game.

Buses were slow coming and they were usually a 40 minute ride so we grabbed a cab.  Road closures for Mother’s day around the main cemetery caused delays and the ride ended up being 30 minutes.  We arrived at 10 to 12 and they started giving us funny looks saying the buffet closed at noon.   Typical Ecuador, always giving a person the wrong story…   Anyway they rushed us in and we hurriedly chose from the buffet, where all the burners had long since been turned off so our entire meal was cold but we had a good feed anyway.

I walked Bella down to the Rio Tomebamba where she crosses to go to Bridge, over the bridge, and I continued east, getting a few snaps of the river laundry folks, and a few shots of Mark and Karen’s new apartment from the outside.   I slipped into Joe’s Secret Garden to give Joseph the photos from last night and also all the photos from last week’s Derby Day.   He claimed DropBox only contained about 10 shots however my end showed they had all uploaded.   While waiting I got shots of their great devil masks in the living room and their awesome goldfish mural while I had great natural afternoon light.

I then passed through Feria Libre, quite surprised at the abundance of fruit sellers on the west side.  I toyed with the idea of getting a small stereo to play music but ended up spending $15 for an 8Gb Memory stick that is all metal, flexible, and will stay on my key ring.  It is very handy when traveling to have your information so close at hand.

Because there is a Deportive Cuenca soccer/futbol game today our bus got re-routed and it always amazes us that they do not have a set alternate route to use.  They get all sidetracked in narrow sidestreets, going many blocks out of the way, and this bozo had to back up an entire block to get back on “his” route.    In the process he missed at least 4 stops entirely.

I wanted to be home by early afternoon to try to get in a late bid on the camera lens that I want.   There is a fellow in Ontario selling it, starting at $450 on eBay, with a Buy-It-Now price of $675.   They go for $600 new so I don’t know why he put such silly pricing on it.   I had offered him $525 for it earlier but he refused me so I hope to get it for a lot less now.   I waited until the last minute to get my bids in but one fellow beat me by $10 and I didn’t have time to re-bid.  It went for $535.

I found another used one that allows offers so I offered $490 plus the $31 shipping.   I noted this same store had 2 the same posted so I am hoping they will grab my offer.

I think tonight calls for popcorn and a good movie.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Saturday May 11, 2013

Saturday May 11, 2013  update #449

I had an early morning appointment with the new Executive Director of Hearts Of Gold to iron out a few issues and to brainstorm a few more ideas in preparation for Tuesday’s meeting.   After that I will be missing about 6 weeks of meetings so I need to get my areas of concern looked after.

A long nap was what the doctor ordered for the afternoon before we headed to the west end.   It started to rain as we attempted to access Mark & Karen’s new apartment but the security guard was nowhere to be seen so we did not get in.   We don’t complain about the recent rains because the rivers are really quite low.

So we backtracked to have a delicious BBQ supper at Joe’s Secret Garden followed by scrumptious cinnamon rolls.  It really is heartening that we have made so many good friends and acquaintances at Joe’s and how they go out of their way to say hello and goodbye and to ask advice on different matters.   It really is a good core bunch of folks that frequent Joe’s.

I see Bella finished the second baby booty so now I has some shots of the pair of them.   So cute…

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Friday May 10, 2013

Friday May 10, 2013  update #448

I was off early to get to Banco Pichincha and try again with my third visit for an International Credit Card.  We had carefully filled in the new application and therefore I was hopeful things would go smoothly, but this is Ecuador, and nothing runs smoothly.  First they needed a copy of our utility bill, which we don’t receive because they are paid automatically through this very bank.  Finally they managed to print off a copy somehow.   They got Diana down from the fourth floor and I explained the strange situation about our confusing address.   The tax bill shows us on 24 De Mayo and the utility bill shows us on Popayan so they agreed to use Popayan.  Then Diana tells us that because we entered a number in a box we shouldn’t have that they needed another new application, again with both signatures.   Of course Bella is not with me so my patience is wearing a little thin with this ridiculousness that you can’t just make a correction and initial it like anywhere else in the civilized world.  Then, to top it all off, now they say they need a $2,000 CD on deposit for an International Credit Card where they will only give you 70% for a limit!   I don’t know how I held my cool but I thanked them and left.   I called Bella and we will maybe be checking out other banking options upon my return from Canada.  

Bella was off to her Weaving Store classes and charity work.  The new little baby workboots she has made are just too cute.

I then decided to go to the Carolina Bookstore and sign out a few movies.    I went through their whole supply which some poor soul took three days to put in alphabetical order.  I grabbed about 7 movies and headed downtown towards the San Francisco church. 

The area of the flower market was very busy and the flowers intoxicating.   There was a mass going on in Santuario Mauriano.   The interior of that church is so photogenic.

I wandered through the big Immaculate Conception Cathedral trying to get some better shots of the interior and was heading out the far door when I noted a sort of security person hanging about, very unusual, then I noticed a small door open on the right leading to a brick circular staircase upwards.  Then I happily spotted a notice on the wall stating that this was now open to the public to access the cupolas of the cathedral!  The security fellow came over and said it was $1 so up began the long walk upwards.  I knew there was nothing in the twin towers because the openings are large and empty although it appears that there may be some construction starting.  Getting up to the level of the statue of Mary and Jesus is uplifting and the views spectacular.   I was hoping to be able to walk at the base of the blue domes but that was entirely wishful thinking.  I hope you enjoy the photos.

Passing by the Old Cathedral the harpist had taken a break so I got a shot of the top of his beautiful harp.  Then I went to the next corner and peered into the Justice Building.   I can hardly pass this building without stopping in, that fabulous courtyard is such a magnet to me.   They have made a beautiful shrine to Mary on the opposite side so that has added another dimension to it.

I caught the #3 to Monay and walked down the hill deciding that I was too tired to make lunch so I stopped in to the restaurant 2 doors from us that we have never tried before.  It was a delightful lunch for $2.50.   Hanging on the wall above me was this gorgeous painting of a mother and her son.   They have such wonderful artists here.

Bella is anxious to watch a movie so I have to run.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Thursday May 9, 2013

Thursday May 9, 2013  update #447

The morning was spent on picking up our new sofa and loveseat with the built-in recliners.  We had made a deal with Hearts Of Gold that they could get our existing 2 sofas if they would provide the transport and the strong backs.  Tarek and Marco drew the short straws and I met them at the office at 9am and we headed over to the Totems area to get the new set.  Recliners contain a lot of iron parts so the two new units weigh a ton, each.  

The boys managed to get the two items out of the apartment and into the elevator to go down the 4 floors.   The rest was relatively painless to get them strapped into the truck, a 1972 Datsun I think.

I had already dismantled our 2 sofas so they were easy to pitch outside once we arrived at home.  We put blankets on the tile floor and just slid the new units most of the way to their destinations.    We then loaded the old units on the truck for delivery to the HoG office where they were welcomed with open arms.

We set them up and they are about as good as we could expect in our small living room.  By using a different configuration we now have a lot more room and all 4 recliners are functional.   Bella is happy.   The boys were upset at being locked in while the transfer was occurring but that soon gave way to curiosity and picking out their spots on the new furniture.

I just was thinking of about 4 cars that I had bought over the years, …combined, that cost less than this furniture…  Ouch.   But we deserve some comfort in our old age.

We slipped up the hill to Coral and purchased a couple of solid little table lamps so we can have decent lighting and a comfortable place to read, etc.  We are quite happy with the results of our morning.

Most of the afternoon was spent on a sticky issue with Hearts Of Gold that had me drafting a notice of resignation but that was forestalled.   The problem will hopefully resolve itself with a clarification meeting in the next few days.

After supper we enjoyed watching Iron Man 3 while stretched out in the loveseat.  Life is good.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Wednesday May 8, 2013

Wednesday May 8, 2013  update #446

Bella went to Coral to pick up her new misting floor fan and brought it home for me to assemble.  Next she was off shopping for lamp stores then of course she had Bridge in the afternoon.

I did my uploading chores and finished some more Internet chores before deciding to start to dismantle the couches downstairs in preparation for the swap tomorrow morning.   I managed to get the small one stuffed into the dining room and the bigger one is now ready to go.

I then tackled the assembly of Bella’s new fan, sans instructions of course, but I took my time and did what made sense from the equipment in the box, the parts list, and the photo on the box.   Sonuvagun if it doesn’t actually work too!   I don’t know where Bella is going to stick anything else in that bedroom…

I took her old humidifier and cleaned it right out for use in the guest bedroom now.

I had a couple of hours open so I headed out to check a few stores I knew along Huayna Capac for lamps as well.  A few places had a single floor lamp only, and nothing like we are hoping for.    I then checked along the whole route to home but found nothing better.   I started formulating ideas of building our own so that it would hug the wall and not take up any space.   

Once we get the furniture tomorrow we can have a much better idea on where things will have to be placed.   

Sorry no photos today.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.  

Tuesday May 7, 2013

Tuesday May 7, 2013  update #445

Bella was off on a lamp shopping expedition before we were to meet up later in the day.

I went back to Banco Pichincha and got bounced around amongst the personnel on different floors again before being given an entirely new credit card application and being told to return on Friday to complete the necessary documentation.

Next was another meeting at Hearts Of Gold to go over our expected online campaign to raise funds to help kids attend school.  Many kids don’t make it to school because the families can’t afford the $50 or so each for 2 pairs of shoes and the initial basic school supplies.   We have an ambitious goal of $6,150 to outfit 123 kids at 3 different partner organizations.   I was asked to write the Blog entry for our website before they do the teaser advertising in the social media.  We went over my offering and made a few revisions to satisfy everyone’s needs.

Then I had to hop a cab to meet Bella and friends at a Charity Bingo being put on at the Oro Verde Hotel for the Messengers Of Peace Orphanage for whom our friends Anne & Michal Roche volunteer.  There was a reasonable turnout of expats and Cuencanos and we enjoyed the Bingo in spite of the terrible caller who really had no clue what to do, changing his mind every 10 seconds.   At one point they replaced him on the podium then inexplicably let him back up there to finish the last games.  There were 50-50 draws, Latin American music and a light lunch too.   Our table ended up being the envy of the place because everyone won at our table, (except me, BooHoo), and some of them more than once.  I was playing 6 cards and we were using shirt buttons for markers.   We found several instances where cards had duplicate numbers, like two number 29’s on the same card!   Anyway, we had good company and contributed to another good cause.

Mark and Karen have bought a modern ground floor apartment along the Tomebamba this afternoon so they will be very busy with that purchase for a while.   It is about 8 blocks from where they live now.

We stopped again at the Chinese food place at the top of Gran Colombia and the food was again excellent, best Chinese food in town by far.   We had a few giggles at the antics of our little gangly waitress who was doing some fancy dance moves but didn’t realize we were watching.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.  Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Monday May 6, 2013

Monday May 6, 2013  update #444

Bella was off for groceries this morning while I zipped off to Banco Pichincha to see about arranging for a credit card in US funds.   I stopped to ask the first floor personnel who sent me to the second floor who then sent me to see Diana on the fourth floor.   It was a short conversation because they need patrons to open a one-year CD for a large amount then they will give a credit card for 90% of the amount.  Having a US credit card can save us a lot of conversion fees so we think it will be worth it.   Bella says I can try this tomorrow.

As I headed over to Hearts Of Gold I spotted this fellow brushing down what I think was artificial turf in a sports field, but pulling the brushes with a motorcycle!   We have all seen this kind of thing done with tractors or ATV’s before, but never with a motorcycle. 

The new Hearts Of Gold offices are much more spacious and it seems most of the staff are settled in nicely.  Apparently this beautiful home had been vacant for many years, for reasons unknown.   It would seem that they have lots of room for the two couches that we are donating to them on Thursday.

We got into some detailed discussions about a couple of fundraisers we are considering and they raised almost as many questions as they supplied answers.  One thing is for sure, HoG needs to get officially legal ASAP so we can really make our presence felt and get proper banking and money-handling issues all handled in-house.

My suggestion for an ongoing online fundraiser will necessarily be put on hold for a while not only because of the above but also because so many of our volunteers are going to be out-of-country over the next 3-4 months.   We still did up some ideas and suggestions for the executive to mull over and Bella helped us out enormously with her Excel skills.

We will be organizing a straight online fundraising effort designed to help poor kids attend school.   Last year it was very successful so we want to build on that if we can.   We have scheduled another meeting for tomorrow to gather information for a news bulletin that I have been drafted to write.

Yesterday we had 3 separate rainstorms and I took a couple of timed shots just for fun last night.  The rivers have risen nicely with the welcome moisture and another little rainshower is passing by as I type this. 

I spotted this colourful yellow bird quite a distance away and hurriedly took a shot.   I have cropped and enlarged it so the quality is pretty bad but I get the impression that this little bird has a small toucan-like beak.   I will have to keep an eye out for him.

I certainly can’t figure out Google.   I actually can open my Gmail much faster through Firefox than I can through Google Chrome…..   Does this make any sense???

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.  Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Sunday May 5, 2013

Sunday May 5, 2013  update #443

Gosh I had a decent sleep and got up thinking I would get out today and do some good.   The weather looked very changeable so I delayed while I did some chores.

Bella stayed in the sack until 11:30, no problem for her!   Then she was off to her Bridge Club again.

I tried to get a partner to go with me somewhere, anywhere, but he wasn’t feeling well.   Then the heavens opened and we got a good soaking.

Then suddenly my exhaustion kicked in and I just laid down and power-snoozed for an hour or so with Peso as my hot-water-bottle.   I awoke somewhat refreshed and packed up and headed to the Solano area to poke around.   The first order of business was to find the new Hearts Of Gold office which wasn’t too difficult.   The building seems to be a little larger than the last place.

Then I wandered down to the newly renovated Parque de La Madre (Park of the Mother) and soaked in some of the family atmosphere as the Cuencanos enjoy their Sunday afternoon.

Next I took a small walk along the Rio Tomebamba which is really very low now, so we can really use some of that rain we have been getting the last few days.

I searched around to find the first hotel we stayed at in Cuenca, the Hostal La Casona.   It is beautifully situated on a fairly quiet street close to the El Vergel Super Maxi store.   Kitty-corner is the first house we checked out that belonged to some beauty queen who wanted $250k for it when everyone around says it was only worth $100k.  The place was very nice, with fruit trees and separate maid’s quarters outside.   The inside had some beautiful woodwork and multiple bedrooms with ensuites but it had poor electrical, water damage, and a very basic kitchen.   It probably became someone’s money pit.

I had made arrangements to meet Bella for supper at the Chill Grill nearby but I arrived there early to find it closed.   I didn’t mind as I find their burgers very ordinary while Bella just loves them.  Bella thought they might open at 6pm but apparently not.   A nearby buffet had its doors open but had closed 20 minutes earlier.  A taco place did not look too exciting so we tried a Pronto Pizza place that seemed to have lots of clientele.   Their pizzas had a lot of mozzarella, but no tastable meat or tomato sauce or even crust, totally boring.   I had ordered the meat lover’s pizza and couldn’t taste any meat!!!   Oh well, we have to check out the different places.

There was a family with 3 young girls next to us at the pizza place and one of the kids took an interest in us so I took her picture.   Her father kept giving her English phrases to use with us and it was so cute.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.  Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/