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