Friday July 5, 2013

Friday July 5, 2013  update #503

Bella was off early this morning to the Weaving Store to do her volunteer crochet and knitting projects.

I had a good sleep and woke up very refreshed this morning.   Today was going to be my day of rest.

After chores and lunch I took a short walk to recharge my cel phone and my transit card. 

On the way back I tried to locate Tom Thumb outside.  He was cheeping strongly but was certainly well hidden in a very bushy tree.  I tried the lens again on some hibiscus and like the results.

Once I got home I heard Tom cheeping very close so I figured he was going to make an appearance soon so I got set up and, hand-held on manual focus, I managed to get a pretty decent shot of the little guy.  That is the reason I got this new camera was to have the manual focus capability.  Coupled with this new lens I am now a very happy camper.

I went to work on more Pase Del Nino shots from last Christmas Eve.  I am about 1/3 the way through those and have a long way to go yet.   I had better get cracking on those.

My advertisements for selling the 75-300 lens should be published this afternoon so I hope that works for us.

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

Thursday July 4, 2013

Thursday July 4, 2013  update #502

For some reason I was awake and doing chores at 3am but I did get back to bed quickly and slept in for a bit.   Bella had a relaxing day at home today.

I have decided to sell my Canon 75-300mm lens since I do not need it.  I am so very happy with the range and clarity provided by the more expensive 15-85mm that I would hardly ever use this other lens.  With our money being frozen in the Coopera debacle we might need the extra cash at the moment.

I had emailed our friend Rommie who wanted to buy a few of our Eleggant Hooks by wholesale so she had responded that she would be at their new gallery this morning setting up.  I got dressed and headed down there.

On the way I stopped at the JG Gallery on Calle Larga to see if he had another of our “party people” to put on our living room wall.  I was in luck, he was not only open but he also had a figure of a musician that wasn’t a duplicate, and it was facing the right direction.  That was an easy sale for him, even though he wouldn’t bend on the price.

I had to phone Rommie when I got in the area since I did not have an exact address and found out two things, Rommie wasn’t there and it was a block east of where I thought.  However she said her partner Stuart would be there and he would handle the transaction.  I followed her directions and managed to walk my way right into the new gallery where I let her talk to Stuart as well.

The new gallery is called Pumamaqui and it is basically a new structure 1 block north of the Coffee Tree, then 1 block east, and it is a new brown building on the north side.  When Stuart finished with his TV guys we managed to complete the transaction and then he gave me a tour.

I didn’t realize that the gallery area was just inside the main doors, on either side so I had failed to take photos of them.  The galleries were empty, but imagine they will be filled up by tomorrow because he said the Friday Art Market will be held here tomorrow from 4-8pm.   The courtyard was magnificent with many plants and flowers to delight the senses.

They also have 4 very neat apartments for rent and I think they would be absolutely perfect for quiet single people.  There is a very large apartment at the back of the courtyard (my favourite), with two neat two-story loft bachelor apartments above.   There is another bachelor apartment on the west side near the one gallery.  All the apartments are bright and beautifully constructed with modern appliances and lighting.  My feeling is that these apartments will be reasonably quiet at night since they are off the main roads of downtown.   The address is 6-28 Honorato Vasquez.

Stuart White is probably one of the first Gringos to ever live in Cuenca since he has been here 30 years and he speaks excellent Spanish.   You can contact him on his cel at 093-927-2402 or email at pumamaqui.accommodations@gmail.com if you know anyone who may be interested in renting these awesome small apartments.   I did not enquire about his asking prices as they will vary depending on the term of a lease.

Stuart is also a photographer and is looking for some instruction with PhotoShop so I have offered to help him.  He could be a very valuable contact in this town.

Sad news that our friends’ anticipated purchase of their condo has fallen through at the last moment due to a prior title problem.  They are checking today to see if this is a permanent problem or if this is hopefully a temporary glitch.   We are keeping our fingers crossed.

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

Wednesday July 3, 2013

Wednesday July 3, 2013  update #501

Bella was off to the Chamber Of Commerce to sit in on a meeting to obtain citizenship in Ecuador.  We may as well find out what it takes because the next 18 months will probably fly by as quickly as the first 18 months.  

That meeting must have finished early because she then caught a bus to San Joaquin to try to get some answers about the Coopera situation.  Apparently our old Manager was bravely there trying to answer peoples’ questions.  It sounds like it will be well into August before we will be able to access our accounts. 

Then of course Bella had her Bridge Club.

In the meantime I headed out this afternoon after completing most of my chores.  One look at the sky convinced me to grab my backpack with my umbrella, etc.  My first stop was at Hearts Of Gold to drop off some knitted or crocheted scarves for kids to use during this cool season.

As I left there it started to rain and I got to the side of the stadium when the heavens opened and I feared my cheap little umbrella would fold under the pressure.  I ducked under a business canopy with many other folks and waited about 5 minutes until the rain slowed a bit then I continued on.

My destination was the Court House and I made it there before the 2:45 deadline for meeting with other expats and Ecuadorians to provide a show of solidarity with our lawyer Carlos.  Carlos had managed another hearing with the adolescent court to try a second time to get an injunction to halt the liquidation of our Coopera Credit Union.   Carlos and Ben were hoping for up to 350 persons and were very disappointed when only about 50 of us showed up.  In hindsight, we packed the small courtroom anyway and most of us were standing for the 1.5 hours of the legal arguments, all in Spanish of course.  I really thought our lawyer was doing a great presentation because the female judge was making copious handwritten notes.  One of the 3 government personnel on the other side each had their say and the one venomous-looking woman had the crowd hissing at her until the judge threatened to clear the courtroom.  They had rebuttals and when they were complete the judge spoke only a couple of sentences and Carlos stood up and turned to us saying “We lost.  She said No.”

This was all very disappointing.  Of course we all feel it is all political payback and the outcome was never in doubt.

I took the bus to Monay Mall and ran into Garth and Orilla who had just managed to withdraw all their money from Coopera.  They reported that the Coopera branches already have new signs of the other Credit unions that are now administering the liquidation withdrawals.

We are in awe that such events could happen with such rapidity, and with absolutely no process of law.  Right now we are very disappointed in our adopted country.

Bella arrived later at Monay as well and we had a treat supper at KFC.  I guess on Wednesdays they have some music and dance “participaction” kind of event in the food area and it was quite loud.   Watching the kids have fun though was a treat.   I only took a couple of photos of that today so I will just post them here.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   

Tuesday July 2, 2013

Tuesday July 2, 2013  update #500

Bella was off to the Book Exchange and to attend to more banking issues this morning.

I slept in today, finally getting rolling around 10:30 and just finished my chores and uploading in time to leave.

We had a Hearts Of Gold meeting today, chaired by Sheryle, and it was good to be back with that kind-hearted group of people.  Sheryle is especially good at leading meetings because she is unafraid, has refreshing candor, and gets to the point quickly.

We got news that another hearing by a different judge on the Coopera matter is going to happen tomorrow.  The leaders want us to disseminate this information to as many expats as we can because they would like to get about 350 people there in support.   Since Bella will be having Bridge Club, I am elected to go sit in on this.

I did not even take my camera out of its bad today.   The day started off relatively dull and cloudy and it never did pique my interest to record anything.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   

Monday July 1, 2013

Monday July 1, 2013  update #499

Happy Canada Day everyone.

Bella came home in the early morning from the bridge tournament sans trophy so she was disappointed.  We had a few moments to discuss our current money predicament and a few minor issues before I needed to crash.

Yet I was awake at 5am and got up at 7am because things needed doing.   We are having a July Special on our Eleggant Hooks to give free shipping, so I needed to update the website and also PayPal.

Then I uploaded some photos for sale and decided my inventory for uploading is starting to get low so I spent many hours beginning to go through my photos from this year.  I got pretty bleary-eyed by the time I hit late January so I just stopped there.

It was a gorgeous morning when I got up then clouded over heavily so I just kept working on the photos, then it cleared up really nicely for a great afternoon, but by then it was too late to get all gussied up to be presentable outside these four walls.

I still have a lot of photos from the Pase Del Nino from Christmas to process too.  I have to find a balance somewhere so I can get myself outside each day too.

Tomorrow we should have 2 different appointments, one for Coopera (we have received conflicting dates) and one for Hearts Of Gold.

Looking forward to shepherd’s pie for supper….  Sorry, no photos today.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   

Sunday June 30, 2013

Sunday June 30, 2013  update #498

Another good sleep last night, and again didn’t want to get up but knew I have to regulate myself to get off my butt and lose some weight.  As always the chores come first, and someday I may change that because it tends to make me lazier, the longer I wait to go out, and I know that.  It is just that the early morning are generally foggy, cloudy and cooler so I will wait until closer to noon, after I have had my cabbage lunch to go out.

I decided today to give my new 75-300mm lens a workout and see if it is as bad a lens as a friend has claimed.  I put on the polarizing filter and took one shot of the sky from my window before heading out.

My intention was to ride up to Turi, take some shots of the city from above, then walk back down.  As I was waiting for the bus I realized there was a Deportiva Cuenca futbol match today at 2pm so the run up Solano would no doubt be interrupted and cause me grief.   What to do???

I looked south and decided to walk up the Autopista to try to get some shots.   I didn’t go very far when I realized that there were roads up the hill further south so I made a climb up there and found whole subdivisions up there that I never knew existed.  I thought there were only a few scattered acreages but they had streets, schools, the works.

I was amazed that I didn’t like the 75-300mm lens right away because it couldn’t actually back off far enough to get a complete shot.  This thing wanted to zoom in much farther than I recollected my old 70-210mm doing.  I didn’t take many shots as a result but did manage to get a TAME flight coming in for a landing.

I switched back to the 15-85mm and fell in love with it all over again.  It has a much more useable range and you could tell the shots are crisper too.

Rain clouds snuck up behind me so I had to pull out the rain hood for my camera back before using my broken umbrella.  I waited for a few minutes, hoping for a bigger jet to pass by , but the rain didn’t seem to want to quit so I started down again, crossed the Autopista and came out above the Monay Police station and Coopera.

Since I was in this area I figured I might as well stop in at my favourite video store, pick out 4 more movies for $5 and wait out the rain.

It always makes me smile to watch the fellow actually copy the movies in front of you, then copy the movie jacket and put it all together.   This fellow knows I buy a lot there so he also knows I need confirmation the movies are definitely in English, and I need a hard DVD jacket for them.  Very few people get this treatment, but then I always buy in bulk and come by fairly often.  He also provides quality copies, not crap videoed on an iPhone in a theater.

My strategy to outwait the rain did not work, in fact it just got worse just to spite me so I got a little wet under my tiny broken umbrella for the rest of the trek home.

I have downloaded the photos and can definitely confirm that this 75-300 lens is a huge disappointment.  The quality of the shots is way below even that of my old kit lens so I doubt I will be keeping it.  There is just no crispness to the shots at all and way too much graininess.

The Boys are a welcome distraction after my extended absence and I am sure they are missing Bella who should be home late tonight with the winner’s trophy from the bridge tournament, we hope.

Oh, it is still raining…

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al  

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

Saturday June 29, 2013

Saturday June 29, 2013  update #497
Happy 17th Anniversary Jill & Ash.

My gosh, I stayed in bed almost 10 hours, probably because I knew there wouldn’t be any time for napping later.  I did my chores and received an email from the Coopera bunch that they were going to file a second injunction and wanted more signatures of interested parties, and their office was only going to be open until 2 pm, so I had to get active.

Once I got cleaned up I remembered to bring along some sundry items I brought from Canada for Peggy relating to the camera she bought from me, like a manual, etc.   She had indicated they would be at Joe’s tonight.

I caught the #16 to Parque De La Madre and headed up to this lawyer’s office only to find it closed, again, and it was only 1:15pm.  I was not impressed that this had happened twice in one week…  Fool me twice, shame on me, there won’t be a third time….

So now I had all this time on my hands.  I had already decided that I was going to walk the rest of the way to Joe’s and pass by the Earth Day celebrations in Parque Otorongo.  I took a few shots along the Tomebamba on the way.  The celebrations were split between two parks this year and nobody had a clue where the other park was located.  Right in Otorongo there were only a dozen tents selling knick-knacks and a huge sound stage so that was really disappointing.  Someone said the action and party will be tonight, but that there were a few more tents on the other side of the river. 

There were actually about 30 tents over there with a few more interesting offerings and some beautiful artworks.  There was also a dog adoption display by ARCA and I had to rush by the tiny puppies before I was tempted to stuff them in my pockets.   Innocent babies of any kind are my weakness.   There was one older dog that I really liked, docile, great eyes, and I loved the way she cocked her ears.

All those photos will be uploaded with tomorrow’s blog.

It was still really early so I decided to check in on Barbie & John who live a block over from Joe’s.  Someone had said that John looked pretty rough the last time they saw him.  I was lucky that they were home, primarily because they have guests in their lovely B+B.  John actually was looking pretty good, having a good day, he said.   He is still awaiting his doctor to set up his double hernia operation which has been in the works for months.  First John had a respiratory ailment that delayed things then his doctor took off for a while and has just returned.   Barbie however had the flu and was going through the hot and cold routines so I stayed far away from her.  We had a great chat though and it was nice to catch up on things because we really miss them at Joe’s.

I made it to Joe’s pretty well at 5pm and slowly the usual suspects began to arrive and I got a lot of “We sure have missed you” comments so that was comforting.  Joe and Joseph were very complimentary as well, so maybe the heart does grow fonder…  Thank you to Mark for being my surrogate photographer while I was away.  It was greatly appreciated.

I didn’t forget to give Peggy her camera stuff and she showed me this other tiny Sony she had just bought with a 20x zoom, bloody incredible!  The technology these days is truly astounding.

Richard and Sheryle, and Melinda and Bob, from Hearts Of Gold were in attendance so I sat with them tonight.  We have a HOG meeting Tuesday to begin planning our next adventures.  Richard is very busy lining up investors for his gold mining projects, also next week.

Lots of new faces again tonight at Joe’s and that is always a treat.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al  

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

Friday June 28, 2013

Friday June 28, 2013  update #496

I sincerely hope Bella and her bridge gang are kicking some butt up there in Banos-Ambato. 

I was awake early again so I did chores and uploads again for 3 hours before crashing for a while in the recliner.

The weather was a little dismal early on but it really brightened up to be a magnificent day in the afternoon.  I was determined to get outside and walk while I shopped for a couple of items so I caught the #15 up to the cementario (yes this is spelled correctly).   Since this was in my intended shopping area I wanted to give the new lens a workout and it did not disappoint.  The crisp images received from this new lens made the investment worthwhile so I hope you enjoy the photos today.

I walked over to the nearby Mercado and found what I hoped would be a 3V adapter for my new cordless headphones.   The box was not marked and the guy assured me it was 3V but later discovered it was 4.5V and did not quite fit anyway.   My other purchase was to find RCA audio cable splitters so I could connect my sound system and the cordless headphones simultaneously, since they shared the same jack.  I tried every little electrical shop at this Mercado and every shop on the way back home.  Victoria, the electronics store didn’t have it at Monay but Coral did, so my trip was 50% successful, and I did get my good walk today.

On the way I spotted a gorgeous 1937 Buick in a repair shop above our old rental place.   Gosh it would be such a treat to own such a classic car.

They were working on new power lines at several poles along Gonzalez Suarez.  The linemen were scrambling up these concrete poles with these metal and rubber friction contraptions on their feet that looked so awkward but genuinely effective.  The safety harness was dangling at their side and I never saw one of them in use….

There is a new hairdresser in our block who opened up about 4 doors down so I decided to get my ears lowered by her.  It looks good for now so we will see how long that lasts.   It cost $2.

I noticed that the tree immediately in front of our home has a new growth of leaves while other species of tree to the right are almost bare, taking their turn at the winter moulting.  We find it amazing that they go through this process even though the weather hardly changes, although the nights get cooler at this time of year here.

I threw all my clothes in the laundry and caught Pancho to give him a scrub-down with a hair brush mitt because he is shedding too much.  I want to hold him but his hair is everywhere if we try to pet him.

Since I had had a very late lunch I will be having a late supper then enjoy another shoot-em-up movie with Bruce Willis…

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al  

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

Thursday June 27, 2013

Thursday June 27, 2013  update #495

I was up early again because I did not want to miss Bella’s departure for a bridge tournament in Banos-Ambato (below the erupting Tungurahua).  She is being joined by several local bridge players, many of whom are traveling by car.  Bella’s group was going by bus.   Bella is teaming up with Caty and they are rooming together in Banos.  They are seriously hoping to come back with a trophy.

I did my chores, uploaded some works for sale after my long hiatus, then went back to bed until past noon.  I went to Coral for a few grocery items then headed over to my favourite video store only to find it closed for lunch.  So I simply stopped at the crooked video store close to home and chose 4 movies, all action, to entertain me for a while.

I chopped up my cabbage and have enough remaining for 7 lunches.  I then watched one movie before starting to get into another Tom Clancy novel.

I only took one shot of some interesting sky so that can wait until tomorrow.

That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al   

Wednesday June 26, 2013

Wednesday June 26, 2013  update #494

I woke up before 5am and was wide awake so I just got up and did my chores.  Last night I tried to find the photos of my niece’s wedding in May and keep shaking my head because I have misplaced them somewhere, probably still on the computer in Okotoks.  I have checked and rechecked my laptop and my external hard drive countless times, always hoping they will mysteriously reappear, but no such luck.   Then tonight I got an email from my niece with some of the wedding photographer’s offerings and some of them are really priceless mementos.

I petered out again around 9am and crashed until around noon.  It was just a spectacular day so I had intentions of walking to downtown to meet the crew for supper.  I need to get into a regimen of exercise and

With the new furniture configuration in the living room we had decided that we needed to extend our partying family on the wall with 2 more figures.  Bella had found one more musician so I went to work on installing the needed wall anchor and, while I was at it, I also installed the anchor for the next figure we need to add.  When they are all mounted it should look pretty funky.

But then I received an email requesting that I check out some furniture for sale on GringoTree before I went for supper and I was given a location that was not shown on any maps, not even on Google.  The location was near an intersection way to the east, at the end of the #3 line, so I headed out, hoping I would be able to track it down.

Cuenca is famous for its lack of signage and house numbers.  From the directions it sounded like this street was only a block or so from the intersection given but that certainly wasn’t the case.  After asking several people I found the street 3 blocks south, 3 blocks east, and another 2 blocks south, and another block east.  Then there were house numbers and I was not given any phone numbers.  I wandered about and asked everyone in sight without any luck.  After finally enlisting the help of some neighbourhood children, they finally divulged that there was an English-speaking gentleman in this one particular house, so I rang.   First time lucky, it did indeed turn out to be my quarry, Les, aka Ron.  He is trying to sell a houseful of furniture at pretty high prices and really had some quality stuff, but he is going to have a lot of fun unless he is more reasonable.  Firstly, anyone brave enough to find his place had better have a fat wallet and a lot of patience, because he doesn’t want to part with any of his stuff until it is all sold and he is then ready to leave…  Our friends were interested in the dishwasher, and loveseat, ottoman and oversized chair that were listed.  My duty was to photograph them and test them for comfort.   I got shown everything he had for sale and I lusted for the king-size bed and a tall dresser but that is a pipedream for us.   No need and no money….

I then made it back downtown and crossed to the south side of the river to have burgers at the Chill Grill.  I showed our friends the photos and let them form their own negative opinion without any input from me.  The furniture is just too busy and all wrong for their décor.

In keeping with my new diet I did not finish my burger…   I am so proud of myself.

We were supposed to have received the judge’s response today to our petition for an injunction to stop the liquidation of the Coopera Credit Union.  It was promised in 24 hours but this is Ecuador, where manana means whenever… 

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

Sunday-Monday-Tuesday June 23-24-25, 2013

Sunday-Monday-Tuesday June 23-24-25, 2013  update #493

Sunday June 23:

After wasting five hours wandering around the smoky casino at the Grand Sierra, I retrieved my bags and headed to the the Reno Airport which may be small but I sure enjoyed their exhibits while wasting my 3 hours there.  The bighorn exhibit was like it was right out of a museum with the great background, etc.

My trek began with a very short flight to LAX in Los Angeles to have my shortest connection on this trip at only 2.5 hours.  The plane was a Bombardier CJ7 wiener plane and we had to descend the stairs on arrival.  Then we were led to a big bus to haul us to the proper terminal.  This seemed almost scary as convoys of vehicles are sharing taxiways with monster aircraft and driving in amongst parked aircraft and those trying to get in and out.  This is just an accident waiting to happen for sure.

I spent most of my time just grabbing a small bite and walking as much as possible to keep exercised amongst all the sitting around that I would do later.  They were griping about carry-on sizes so I checked my large carry-on right through to Guayaquil.  It only contained my clothes and toiletries so I wouldn’t miss it and wouldn’t have to lug it until my last stop.

The next flight was a red-eye to Miami, leaving at 11:40.

Monday June 24:

The flight arrived at 7:50am.  I had borrowed one of those bead pillows from my Mom and that certainly was a good move on my part.  Airplane seats are not very comfortable to start with and certainly don’t provide any ergonomic neck support.  That little pillow made the flights passably enjoyable.

While I am beginning to hate airports and their pricing, I do enjoy planes and watching the aerodynamics as they take-off and land.  My new camera and lens were enjoying these sights, especially from the vantage point of the moving SkyTrain.  Of particular note was a huge “DreamLifter” cargo plane on the opposite side of the tarmac.   According to Boeing “The Boeing DreamLifter is a modified 747, 400 passenger airplane, that can haul more cargo by volume than any airplane in the world”.   It makes the other airliners look like midgets.

Miami airport is nice and the weather was 83F before 9:30am.  Thank God for air-conditioning in those climates. 

Since my next flight didn’t leave until 3:30pm I had a lot of time to kill.   Riding the SkyTrain and walking the length of the terminal a couple of times helped accomplish that.   Miami doesn’t have any free wi-fi so I couldn’t use that to while away some of it.

We finally got underway to get to Guayaquil airport at 6:50pm and I hustled my butt to be quickly into the immigration lineup.  Luckily, security and immigration lineups were light for this entire trip and I am certainly thankful for those small mercies.  Then it was the mad rush to retrieve my bags.  They had some guys pulling most of them off the belts while others twirled around endlessly.   I found my big suitcase and the prior repaired hole had survived the trip all the way from Reno in good shape.   I ran around the area several time looking for the carry-on and was panicking when the belt buzzer rang and it stopped.  Wouldn’t you know it, my carry-on was the very last item to peek through those heavy plastic drapes on the carousel.  I was fortunate to get waived through the secondary x-ray and screening so I hustled out to grab a cab.  The distance isn’t great to get to the bus depot but I figured the next bus was at 8pm and I intended to be on it.  For some reason, they hide the ticket counters at the far right rear of the bus depot, behind all the sales shops, and as far away from the escalators up to the buses as possible.  Believe it or not, the Cuenca buses are up on the third floor and dragging the 3 bags has this old guys sweating like potential murder victim.  The buses are not air-conditioned either so, until you are underway, that hot and muggy weather has the waterworks of the body gushing forth.   Needless to say, I changed seats until I could get a seat by myself where I could open the window and stick my head out like a dog for the beginning of the journey.   The bus ride is a bit of a milk-run, stopping for passengers at several stops along the way.  It finally pulled into Cuenca at midnight.

Tuesday June 25:

A subsequent cab from Terminal Terrestre got me home around 12:30am.  Bella was still playing bridge so she wasn’t even home but I got a great reception from the Boys who were certainly glad to see me.  When Bella did arrive home we did get to compare notes on the many happenings on both American continents before snuggling up for a while.  

I got a decent 8 hours of sleep had a very welcome shower before the two of us headed out to try to sign a petition (as part owners) of the Coopera Credit Union to head off the proposed liquidation of a very viable institution.   The doors were closed at 11:50 when we arrived so we wandered over to Banco Pichincha to do some banking before coming back to try again.   This time the door was open and we met the Ecuadorian lawyer and another couple spearheading the drive to save Coopera.  Apparently they were off at the courthouse filing an injunction against the liquidation and we should have results by tomorrow.  This whole situation reeks, mostly of cronyism and dirty politics.  If there are crooked dealings by 3 individuals, not using Coopera assets, then why aren’t they only prosecuting those 3 individuals instead of putting hundreds of people out of work and killing a viable business owned by 20% of the population.   The stink of this process just won’t get out of our nose.

Bella had mentioned to them that she had been at the Monay Coopera Food Store on Thursday and yesterday and noticed almost empty meat and fish and dairy coolers, some with signs that they were damaged.  Again, this makes entirely no sense at all.  Bella volunteered me to go take photos of this because the lawyer wanted every shred of proof available, so I did that deed once we arrived home.

So much to do, and so little time…..

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

Sunday June 23, 2013

Sunday June 23, 2013 update # 492

I didn’t exit the hotel room until check-out time at 11am after making sure I was not leaving anything behind except a tip and a lot of snacks for the cleaning crew.   I dragged my bags to the Bell Desk and they took my 3 bags for temporary storage.

Trying to keep busy for 5 hours isn’t that hard in a huge resort like this.   I started to walk to Wal-Mart but it was really windy and cool and I wasn’t dressed for it so I just came back.   I tested my luck in a slot machine and lost my $4 in about 30 seconds so that was it for gambling this year. 

The sports bar was my haven as I watched the Blue Jays win a game 13-4 while watching Spain and Nigeria play soccer.   There was supposed to be some entertainment at 2pm near the pool area but it was still so windy and cold it didn’t appear that anything was happening.  I checked out the empty ballrooms and the 50 lane bowling alley (open 24 hours…. Why???)

The smoke in the casino area was giving me a headache so I was thankful when 4pm rolled around and I could gather my bags and catch the shuttle for the 5 minute drive to the airport.  I was the only passenger this trip and driver was a card, a retired former plumber who enjoys the 10 hour shifts of driving.  He thinks the kids of today are going to be in for a rude surprise when they find out there isn’t going to be enough jobs for whole generation of techno geeks.  I tend to agree with him.

I am presently in McDonald’s, enjoying their free wi-fi, still almost 2 hours before my flight leaves west to LAX.  Note that I am going west to make connections to go east and south…..  Thank God that it seems that the winds have subsided somewhat because the first flight is in a CJ7 Bombardier weiner plane.   Those earlier winds would have tossed us around like a paper airplane.

We hope all our friends and acquaintances are safe and dry. 

I wasn’t going to bother uploading my photos from today but, what the heck, it helps me kill some more time.  The photos, like the ones from yesterday, are totally untouched and right from the camera.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Saturday June 22, 2013

Saturday June 22, 2013 update # 491

I was up early enough to be online and ready to check-in for my flights tomorrow starting at 7:35am but, hold the phone, My first flight was changed to 9:35am so I smelled trouble right away.   Sure enough, I would have arrived in Miami at 1:05pm and my connecting flight would have already left at 12:35pm.   I had not received any notifications of this so if I had blindly waited until tomorrow and been stranded in Dallas I would have been fit to be tied.

Almost 2 hours of scouring and re-scouring possibilities began with American Airlines whose personnel are always very pleasant and helpful but the options were all unpalatable.  Finally I ended up having to take a route starting with a flight out at 7:35PM tomorrow and now I will be lucky to reach home by 10:30pm on Monday. 

I have to check out of the hotel at 11am but luckily they will hold my bags at the Bell Captain’s desk until I have to leave about 4pm to get to the airport 3 hours early.    So you can do the math on the hours and it is not pretty.

That was just the start.  The turnout at the show today was awful and we did extremely poorly, so overall we haven’t even come close to covering our expenses.  I have since talked to Bella via email and we may have to re-think doing any more shows.   I would be a very viable business for someone willing to invest a little money, energy and marketing.  Anyone??

It was so bad today I did not have any qualms about packing up the booth except for a couple of packages and getting the box to the Business Center for shipping by 4pm as they had suggested.  It was a great suggestion because there was no line-up (and I would have died trying to lug this box all the way to my room, then bring it back in the morning).  I did sell one of the kits to a “be-back” before the show closed.  

I helped some of the neighbors pack up before coming to the room to check emails.   That is when I got the sad news that Ashley’s Mom, Dorothy, had passed away.  We are going to miss Dorothy and her vivaciousness and her ready smile.

We also got more news of the heavy flooding, this time including Okotoks as well.  The photos and videos on Facebook are mind-boggling.   Heck, even the Saddledome is flooded!

Since I had been eating mostly junk food here and I should know better, I decided to slip downstairs and enjoy a soup and salad.   I went with the recommendation of the waitress to try an Oriental Salmon Salad which was OK but not my style.  At least it was healthier.

As I was walking out of the restaurant some music started and they were announcing the nightly arrival of the “Wet” something-or-other and out came this parade of scantily-clad dancers and dealers who put on quite a show.   I had briefly heard of this from someone and seen some signs but had no idea that I would stumble right into it.   Anyway it was quite an eye-opener and I don’t dare post too many of the hundreds of photos I took, just joking…. But I did get some nice poses from some of these pretty lasses.

I then went to the front desk and paid up the room bill so I would have less things to worry about in the morning, just get out of the room by 11am and find something cheap and non-threatening to occupy 5 hours before beginning my odyssey.

In the elevator were 3 ladies who were part of a muscle/fitness show going on in one of the ballrooms.  Those tans are spray-on and can wash right off, very unnatural.

Back in my room I again checked my reservations and tried to check-in.   I had previously chosen aisle seats for all my flights but they didn’t register.   So back I was on the phone to American Airlines, first with a delightful young lady to get seats assigned before she transferred me to another nice young man who helped me get checked in after the system had refused me several times.   Now I have to dig out my laptop in the morning, down at the Bell Captain’s Desk where they will print my boarding passes for free.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Friday June 21, 2013

Friday June 21/13 update # 489

Got word last night that Calgary, High River and many Alberta communities are experiencing heavy flooding, worse than in 1975.  It seems that most of High River has been evacuated and lots of damage.  We haven’t had much word about Okotoks though, except for a photo on YouTube showing a city sign almost under water.   We have many friends and relatives in the area so we sincerely hope everyone is safe.

Last night I took a quick walk to Wal-Mart to get snacks to last me until departure.  This place is sure pretty at night.

The show was marginally better today, starting off very well then tailing off in the afternoon.   We have no idea what to expect tomorrow but sincerely hope it is wall-to-wall with buyers.

I got a chance to take a few photos of some of the quilts on display here.  I know some of our quilting friends can appreciate the beauty and intricacy of these works of art.

The great ladies across the way, Nancy and Shelley, gave me an option to use their credit card capabilities which we had to use twice today.  Poor Nancy had so much trouble with the Front Desk charging her 4 times for her hotel stay and tying up all her cash so they apologized by giving them a suite with the muckety-mucks upstairs so they now have a great view, fridge, microwave and coffeemaker…. They also get access to the a free lounge with snacks and drinks so we got to experience that for one hour.

Anxious to get home already.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Thursday June 20/13

Thursday June 20/13 update # 488

Strangely I awoke early but was determined to stay in bed until 8am.   I lasted until about 7:20 before some ridiculous pounding began to drive me crazy.   So I got up and tried to check emails but the Internet didn’t want to work.   I called the front desk and they referred me to another firm that handles ‘airport wifi’ but they were no help either.

The room doesn’t have a coffee maker so I was a little cranky already.   I went downstairs and picked up a coffee, a chicken wrap for lunch and a juice to last me through the day at the booth.

I decided to wait a bit to see which way the crowd would come in through the front doors and was quite pleased to see that they were turning right and going right past my booth and would be back when they navigated each aisle.  I t started off very slow, with a lot of “be-back” folks  so I made a decision to ask the show folks to get me a short half wall for the front side of my booth so I could install the one banner on the side which had the most traffic.  They showed up within about 20 minutes and the changes had an immediate effect.

Today was not a great day for sales and that is not a good sign because usually the first day is the best day, but starting on a Thursday is unusual so maybe Friday and/or Saturday will hopefully be a lot better.  It always helps when you have some good neighbouring booths and we do have that advantage.

After today’s work I just did a quick tour of the casino area and was tempted to try even just $5 but I decided against it.   It was better to just get a quick supper and relax in the room.   My legs are really exhausted tonight.

I finally found the Johnny Rockets out at the pool area.  They are apparently there on a temporary basis while the hotel finds them new digs.  After a forgettable $8 single burger I bought a Sprite at another booth and made it to the room.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Wednesday June 19/13

Wednesday June 19/13 update # 487

I had emptied the humidifier in the morning so I had no white noise to sleep with and it was much too quiet.  I had maybe 2 hours sleep when the alarm went off at 3:30am to get ready.  Gord again kindly drove me to the airport and everything went very easily through United’s counters, then customs, so I had loads of time to have a leisurely breakfast.  It was very foggy in Calgary but we got away early, had to skirt some bad weather, and flew over mountains in Montana and Wyoming before arriving early in Denver.   My original seat assignment was the absolute farthest seat in the jet so I had been worried about only having one hour to make my next plane.  I knew that the plane wasn’t full from my pre-board attempt so I asked the stewardess to lease move me up if at all possible.   All the empty seats were the premium economy ones that very few people paid the extra $33 to fill.  The stew moved about 6 of us up from the back rows so we were happy campers.   If you don’t ask, you don’t get….  Because a plane was late departing from our anticipated gate allocation we ended up sitting on the tarmac and lost all our advantage, so it was great that we had gotten moved up.

The gate for the next flight was a very long walk so I was doubly thankful about the prior seat change..

The flight to Reno was uneventful and we landed right on schedule.   I wasn’t too happy when I saw my big suitcase though.   It was obvious that it had been opened and the back of it has a 5-inch gash.  I think baggage handlers get a stipend from luggage manufacturers.

The Grand Sierra Resort hotel is only a 5 minute drive from the airport and they have a free shuttle.   Too bad it only starts at 5am because I will need to be at the airport at 4am on Sunday.  It is funny to see the local cabs with advertising on their roofs for the houses of ill repute, which are legal in Nevada.

The hotel is huge and has all sorts of gambling, theatres, restaurants, pool, etc.   Lots of distractions for anyone who would be interested but I am not.

When I checked in I confirmed that our Benson Box with out Eleggant Hooks had arrived and were being kept in the Business Center.   After I dumped my luggage in the room on the 12^th floor I headed down there.   It only cost $15 to retrieve the box so I took it to the booth.  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that our booth was completely empty, no table, no chair…  The show director claimed that we had not ordered anything.   I dug and dug in my emails back in the room until I found the order which I emailed down to her.  I couldn’t reach Bella because she would have been playing bridge.   Bella later let me know that they never did charge us for it, but in the meantime everyone was gracious and helpful to get us a table and chair.

Set-up did not take long but we are located on an odd corner and not very visible.  The folks will visit every booth at least once so I am not overly concerned but, if tomorrow is bad, I am going to ask for a full side wall so I can make our banners more visible from both directions.

Then I went for a very different pizza supper then did a quick wander around the casino/theater/restaurant floor.  The smell of smoke is pervasive and drove me from the premises in short order.

The hotel room is large and always sleep well in hotels.   I can create enough white noise and cool air with the air-conditioners for a good sleep.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.  

Enjoy the pics at souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Monday-Tuesday June 17-18, 2013

Tuesday June 18, 2013  update #486

Two blogs today, for Monday and Tuesday.

I awoke much too early but my brain was working overtime with a few last minute things I would have to do so I just got up and got started.  My cousin Maurice Jalbert came to visit this morning, having flown in from Regina the night before.  Maurice is coming back with me to Ecuador after we do our show in Houston to spend 2 weeks and tour the country.  2 weeks isn’t very long, especially when a trip to Mindo is a necessity. 

We went to Mr Spud for a brunch of fish ‘n chips and I was quite surprised that the lady proprietor remembered me, and my usual order!  She was quite proud that they had just been notified that they had been voted in the top 3 in the Foothills in 3 categories, getting 2 Gold and one Silver awards.  This is nothing new for them as they are one of the best food places in town.

Maurice and I discussed some of the things that would be good to bring to Ecuador, etc, and shot the breeze over many issues.

Maurice had to be away by noon so we made it back in time and he was nice enough to grab a couple of items that I could not take with me on this trip because of weight restrictions.  We will have to wait until November for good peanut butter, etc.

I began the final processes of packing, etc., doing my last laundry load and getting caught up on my Internet chores.  I tried to pre-board online, but because I am going on United, with a Canadian passport, I will have to dick around at a kiosk in the airport in the morning.

I then caught an hour’s nap before heading into Calgary to get Mom.  She was quite happy to come out to have Wings in Okotoks again, this time at Original Joe’s.    We met the usual bunch, Gord, Em, and Paul (everyone else is away until later this month), and we were joined by my sister Leonie, husband Brian, and Debbie who is our house-sitter.  A good time was had by all.

The return trip to Calgary was a little sad because it would be the last few moments I would have with my Mom until I return in February.

On return to Okotoks I had to put another $60 of gas in the Buick and pump up the tires, especially the right front which seems to have a chronic slow leak.  I may be a flaw in the aluminum rims, I’m not sure.  I then parked it carefully, backing it into the garage, and disconnecting the battery.   Hopefully that will help the battery survive until Bella gets here in November.  The last order of business tonight will be to drop the insurance coverage than maybe I can get a couple of hours sleep before getting up at 3:45 to head to the airport and to Reno.

Sorry that I just wasn’t in a picture-taking mood today, although we did see a nice deer along the highway but couldn’t stop.

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

Monday June 17, 2013  update #485 

I prepared more for my departure, washed clothes and bedding, etc.  I am crossing my fingers that everything left is going to fit in the suitcase or carry-on.   I didn’t get out of my grubbies because those will be last load of washing for tomorrow.

I didn’t venture away from the house at all and we only had one mild spell of rain here but they had tornado warnings to the east.

Deb came home from her trip to Hawaii and says she enjoyed snorkeling and swimming and their stay in a fabulous home.

No photos and not much news so I won’t even bother posting this today.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.

Sunday June 16, 2013

Sunday June 16, 2013  update #484

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there.

I haven’t managed to get a real gorgeous Alberta sunset yet, but I did get pretty nice sky and silhouette last night.

I made the mistake of stepping on the scale today.  ‘Nuf said… this boy is losing weight on his return to Ecuador!

I told Mom I would be in at 2:30 today and I barely made it on time because of construction and car accidents.  I installed Mom’s new thermometer on her bedroom window so she was very happy about that.  She had mentioned a couple of times that she wanted to go see the flowers at Sacred Heart church so I looked up the address and ugh… it was almost downtown.  I asked her if she wanted to go there and her eyes lit up so off we went.  It is a nice enough brick church on the outside  but I didn’t see one flower, which I thought was surprising.   I asked Mom if she wanted to go in, and she didn’t, so I just made a quick run inside, took a couple of shots and came back out.  Mom asked if they had a bathroom in there and I said yes, so I walked her inside.  There was some sort of ceremony going on with the Filipino priest, and what appeared to be a mostly Filipino congregation, but it wasn’t a mass.

As Mom was coming out she made a point of grasping the hand of the statue at the door and then said something to the effect of “Well I sure didn’t think I was ever going to get to see this church, much less pee in it, and shake hands with Jesus.  Maybe this will help me with my pee problems.”  I couldn’t help laughing over that one.

I drove Mom back and then came back to almost the same area near downtown to help my friend Keith with his groceries.   He had invited me for a barbeque but his muscle problems make it really difficult for him to manage many of the simplest tasks.  His landlord, Bill, came down to join us and then we were joined by Keith’s friend Gerda who is a long-distance walker and a saxophone player.

After a nice glass of wine Bill offered for us to dine upstairs where there would be more room, etc.  Keith had bought 6 lovely sirloin steaks ($53!) and we got Bill to grill them perfectly.  I made the salad and the dessert and we were away to the races.  I was savouring every mouthful of that delicious Alberta beef and didn’t want the meal to end.  Bill’s other half, LeeAnne, joined us after supper and we all shot the breeze for a while.

Then Bill disappears for a moment and comes back and puts a box in front of me that looks just like the lens on my camera, and tells me I can have it.  I am shaking my head at my good fortune then realize that this is a coffee cup that looks like a lens!   It is so realistic it had me fooled completely.

Bill and LeeAnne have constructed this gorgeous house and their kitchen is any cook’s dream.  Bella would fall in love with it instantly for sure.   They also have 3 rescue female dogs that are protective and smart as whips.  Would you believe these dogs can read?  They show the dogs pieces of paper with either of the words ‘down’ or ‘sit’, and the dogs obey and get a treat!!! 

I finally got home after 10pm but I am determined to get this Blog off tonight.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.

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

Saturday June 15, 2013

Saturday June 15, 2013  update #483

Last night we had some serious clouds going over at sunset with some long tubes out front that looked ominous.  But they weren’t any danger as there was very little wind and no roiling clouds.

I didn’t do much today except pack, and re-pack, and re-pack, trying to keep the main suitcase under 50 lbs.  Like usual, a lot of stuff had to stay behind and my backpack and carry-on will be stuffed.

Today was a re-run of yesterday, with alternating sun, cloud and rain all day long.

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.

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

Friday June 14, 2013

Friday June 14, 2013  update #482

I got up too early after watching Lawrence Of Arabia into the wee hours of the morning but I wanted to see if the rain barrel had arrived as scheduled at Lorne’s.   I called and he said he had received two with big holes in them and to call again.

Today was a day where the weather couldn’t decide whether to pee or get off the pot.  Mostly it peed, but we didn’t need to go out until late. 

Every time I step out onto our deck, and then look at the neighbours, I smile and am so thankful that we spent the extra buck, did the work ourselves (with the invaluable help of our friend Ken Johnston) and put on the composite decking that we did.  I think it was called Trex, but I could be wrong.  It is always cool to the touch and still looks magnificent after 8 years.

I had to mail 2 packages of Eleggant Hooks then I sped into Calgary to try to do a quick shopping trip at Bianca Amor’s Liquidation Center.  I did pick up a couple of items, including a keyboard, and wireless headphones.   I just hope I have room in the suitcases for everything I want to bring back.   I better start packing tomorrow.

I went in to see Mom and we decided to play some Tile Rummy.  I had to smile when Mom insisted on dusting the table first.  It reminded me of her late husband Lou who said, “If you want to keep your Mom happy, hand her a dust rag”.  That has always been Mom’s hallmark, a spotlessly clean home, and age hasn’t diminished her resolve.

Now, do I have to admit that a 97-year-old woman beat me 2 straight games??  At least she doesn’t gloat about it (partly because she forgets who won…)

Then we went out for supper and her choice was to go to Boston Pizza for her personal “Meateor” pizza.  Better to have her eat something she enjoys than to hear grumbling over the meal.   It didn’t hurt that she could watch some wrestling on the big monitors.  Little things like that keep her happy.

When I dropped her off she mentioned that her thermometer in the bedroom window had deteriorated and was hard to see and she wanted a new one just like it.   On the way home I picked up a little gasoline and tried to use my Superstore coupons but they didn’t have any thermometers.   I did try to buy a $2 item which suddenly became $4 at the till so I told them they could keep it.

I could have gone to Canadian Tire or Wal-Mart but I was already fed up with Calgary so I headed to Okotoks and went straight to the Dollar Store.  There I found the right thermometer for a whole $1.   I dug up a nickel for the tax and opened my wallet to find my smallest bill was a $20.  Could you believe that the dimwit blonde at the till actually took out a calculator to determine that my change was $19 ??!!  What do they learn in school these days???!!!

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.

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

Thursday June 13, 2013

Thursday June 13, 2013  update #481

Happy 53^rd Birthday to our youngest brother Norm.

Last night I was looking outside quite late and saw 3 deer over the back fence so I stepped out on the deck to see if there were more in the area.   I saw a black and white animal scampering to my right which came right below me.   I didn’t want to startle it but I ran to get my camera.   By the time I had returned there was no sign of the skunk.  This morning I made a very careful check of the yard to be sure they were not building a den somewhere.   I always remember when Dad shot a skunk at the farm and it wasn’t long before the whole town, 2 miles away, knew about it.  That smell is very di-stink-tive!

Leonie and Mom were off to see her new doctor in High River mainly to refill prescriptions and to have a quick check-up.  Mom likes the manner of this Doctor, even though he is far away, so she cooperates well.  It was no surprise to anyone that he commended Mom for keeping in such great shape for a 97-year-old.

 I busied myself with chores around the house, like finding additional carpet to cover the front steps because winter and snow-shoveling is too hard on the new paint.  This is pretty good carpet, not expensive, but hard-wearing so it should last for years on our steps that get almost no traffic.  Even the paperboys just throw the paper from several feet away.

Bella has a picture/painting of a Paris scene over the main fireplace and somehow the picture had come away from the matting and was conspicuously askew.  Naturally the back is covered with glued-down paper but I managed to dislodge ½ of it, enough to get at the matting and photo.  I taped it back into place on the mat then wiggled it back underneath.  After taping up the back again, I hung it back up and it looks as good as new.

We had a little sprinkle this afternoon in spite of warning for more severe weather.    I was hoping for a decent rain to test out the repaired rain barrel.  I have to remember to pick up the “new’ rain barrel from Lorne tomorrow.

I enjoyed a nice supper of microwaved corn-on-the-cob and plan to make some popcorn later and relax with a good old movie.

I was surprised to hear that Cuenca has quickly gone from drought to almost flood conditions.  Our area is not on a flood plane so we are confident we will survive this.

I keep procrastinating but I had better start packing the big suitcase with all the items we want to bring back.  I am afraid that, like last time, some heavier items won’t make the trip….

That was today’s excitement.  Hugs to all.

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

Wednesday June 12, 2013  update #480 

Sad news received this morning.  Jill’s mother-in-law, Dorothy, has just been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung, stomach and spine cancer.  Poor Dodie has been a recluse for the past year no doubt dealing with her pain.  Darn cancer anyway!  Hasn’t it caused us all enough heartache and pain.   Where are all these cures that they supposedly have?  There was even a report that the U of A had found a miracle cure….

More bad news today…  Our Coopera Credit Union in Cuenca has been closed and is under liquidation by the Banking Superintendent, supposedly for money-laundering, the same reason they closed down the Banco Territorial earlier.  Everything I have managed to read indicates that we should be able to recover our deposits and we certainly hope it is as easy as the last one.  I guess we should make sure our deposits are always diversified and guaranteed.

I uploaded some photos for sale today and did other chores before going out to finish sealing the rain barrel crack.  Hopefully it will hold the pressure of a full load.

After cleaning up I headed in to visit Mom about 2:45 and she was more than eager to go for a ride so we headed south.  I cut off the highway through DeWinton and had a real leisurely drive so she could comment on all the lilacs in bloom.  She still had a fixation about groves of trees being too thick, or just right.  When turned back onto 2A heading to Okotoks we just went slowly in the emergency lane then turned right to get some rich country flavour and enjoy the horses, cows, and views of the Rockies.  We even went into D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club on the off chance there might be some deer around but no such luck.

Then we drove across town and she recognized that we were headed to our home.  The grass had been freshly cut so the place looks quite nice.  On the way out I always automatically look at the ravine behind the mail boxes and was rewarded with our first sighting of a deer in our neighbourhood.   Gosh I miss those guys.

We both had been craving more Wings so we went over to Foxy’s where Bev and Jocelyn always look after us so well.  We ordered 30 wings and Mom did her best to help me out and we picked those plates clean.

After getting Mom back home I decided to drop in on our friends Lorne & Mary and was fortunate to catch them at home.   They both look great, as do all of our friends here.   It must be the good clean Alberta air here.   We had a nice visit and chatted about many things and Lorne offered me a blue rainbarrel, available Friday, that I could easily put under the south downspout off our deck.   From the sounds of it I will have to doctor it up much like the other barrel.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

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

Tuesday June 11, 2013

Tuesday June 11, 2013  update #479

Oh boy, an early night and a good sleep do wonders but awaking to a rainy day does put he brakes on that and make you feel dopey and sleepy.

However I did need to get up and get our Eleggant Hooks packages mailed off.  I tried to check to see if we had any new orders prior to leaving but the Internet, and hence our phones too, were down.

I went to the main Post Office to get the packages off with the morning’s stuff then went over to the Southridge PO to check out the additional parcel.  It was indeed Mark Anderson’s passport and paperwork all completed so he will be happy to see all that upon my return.   I did a quick tour in Staples but one look in my wallet cured any thoughts I may have entertained about buying anything.

I dropped in at McFarlane Agencies to see all the boys, including Bill who was in the office in one of his rare visitations.  Everyone looks really good.   I then spent a little time with the new girl, Nicole, who has inherited my book of business.   She appears to have already made a very good impression on her co-workers and my clients so we wish her the best there.

Back home I saw the Internet was up so I called Gord and Em to confirm that Wing Night is tonight at Original Joe’s.  I then gave my Mom a quick call to say I would stop by tomorrow.   Mom loves wings so I am toying with the idea of bringing her to Foxy’s…

Then the Internet went down again so I used my cel to call Platinum to complain.  They are saying it is a general outage everywhere and they are working on it.  It is not looking good for getting at the many things I had hoped to accomplish, like uploading more work for sale, etc.

 I started to tackle the repair to the rain barrel outside.   I applied some Weldbond glue that is not good on plastic (not much is…) and I will apply some Duct tape over top of this once it is reasonably dry.   Hopefully it will then be able to hold water for a while.

Then I went to work on the new camera equipment, installing the UV filter, checking out the 2 new lens hoods, and connecting the new lens cap.   I am very pleased with the small investment.   I took a few shots with the new 70-300 lens and was thankful for the image stabilization feature because the image in my viewfinder wasn’t very steady.  I am quite happy that the photos turned out much better than expected.

I was pooped so settled in for an hour-long nap before heading out to Wings.  Many folks are away so there was only five of us tonight.   I had the salt & pepper wings and was adding more black pepper when the girl cam by with the peppercorn shaker.   Mmmmmm good and spicy.

I then went down to Gord and Emily’s for a quick visit with them and Chimo, their champion Golden Lab.   Oh, the two huge cats, Pepsi and Orange joined the party too.  First we went downstairs to check out why they are not receiving most of my emails but this is a universal problem with Shaw  so they will need to phone Shaw.  I had forgotten how nice a new computer can be, with almost instant page changes and no waiting on anything.  While we enjoyed an ice cream dessert we were treated to a few videos of Chimo doing his workouts and also some footage of his first litter.  Chimo is such a gentle giant who doesn’t bark and is such a pleasure to be around.

It will soon get boring around here once I finish these small projects and I know I will be looking forward to getting back to Bella and the Boys.

That was today’s excitement.   Cheers, Al

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