Saturday February 2, 2013

Saturday February 2/13  update #356

Do you know the joke where two guys are in a bar and one says to the other “You see those two guys over there, that’s what we’ll look like in ten years!”   And his friend responds “That’s a mirror, you dummy!”  Mirrors, especially the full-length ones, should be banned for anyone over 60.  They get warped with age and make us look misshapen and fat.    Mirror, mirror, on the wall, bugger off will ya!   Lol.   Getting back in shape will be my number one priority on my return to Cuenca.

I was up early again, had breakfast, and called a cab recommended by the hotel as cheaper than the one used yesterday but he actually cost more,… go figure….   At least he showed up right away, and was an independent small cab company with 4 units, so I contracted him to pick me up at 5:30 after the show.

The show today was rather disappointing and would not have exceeded yesterday’s poor showing by much if a former wholesale customer hadn’t come in the last hour and bought 20 packages.  She claimed she was having trouble reaching us by email so I gave her the right address, just in case.

I am really surprised that there weren’t any obvious Canadians in the crowd over the 3 days, considering how many Snowbirds there are in the immediate area.   One of the security people told me of two Canuck ladies who were at the dog show in the next building though.

I have the tear-down of our booth down to a science and managed to get all of our remaining supplies and display apparatus into our custom Benson Box.  I highly recommend a Benson Box to anyone that is shipping stuff back and forth across the country.     My neighbouring vendors were again envious when I was packed and ready to go in less than 10 minutes.

I lugged my box outside to wait for my cab at 5:10 and was about to borrow someone’s phone to give him a blast when he finally showed up at 5:50.    I discussed with him the possibility of getting my camera lens somewhere and he suggested Best Buy, with two stores equidistant in either direction about 18 miles.   I told him I would call them first to make sure they had my lens in stock before I spent a fortune to drive there.   When I finally got through to them they said they had none in the city but could order me one from New Mexico.   I am glad I didn’t cab there on spec or I would have been a very unhappy camper.

I arranged and secured my Benson Box and information for pickup by FedEx on Monday.   Hopefully there will be no glitches in getting it back to storage in Idaho.

I slipped out for a late supper and saw a strange concession truck set up with a covered eating area so curiosity got the better of me.  They served all kinds of Mexican food so I tried a flour taco and a corn taco with beef first.   I didn’t care for the corn taco but loved the flour taco shell so I ordered two more of those with a bottle of Sangria.  They had a TV going with a Mexican League soccer match so I even had entertainment.   The two young Mexicans running the place were very personable and willing to chat too.   I kept getting braver with their hot salsa and peppers until my eyes were watering.  Oh, that was so good, and very beefy too.  I ordered another Sangria to go and made it back to the hotel in time to catch another call from my brother Fern.

Sorry, no photos today.   There is really nothing too interesting in this industrial area.   Phoenix just seems to be a mass of freeways and airplanes, and not much else.   I am just anxious to get home to Cuenca but am not looking forward to almost 24 hours traveling tomorrow.   I have to be up by around 4:30am and will be lucky to get to our home in Cuenca by the same time Monday.   Wish me luck.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.   

Friday February 1, 2013

Friday February 1/13  update #355

Surprisingly I had a bit of a fitful sleep last night but at least I got enough rest that I was functional.

I reviewed what the show people want to charge to ship my box after the show and almost choked on that.  I called FedEx, who are not open on Saturday or Sunday, but will pick up my box from the hotel on Monday for about $288.  The hotel is happy to be the intermediary so we are good to go, as long as I can get the box to the hotel, and leave the address labels and my credit card information.

I had a small breakfast and called a cab to the Fairgrounds just to see the response, time, and cost.   They quoted a ride within 10 to 45 minutes, which thankfully arrived in 10 minutes, and it cost me $7.50.  Another method to my madness was to see if I could arrange transportation for tomorrow night after the show but this driver only worked until 4pm and wasn’t interested in working any later.

At the show I asked a security guard where the pay phones were and he said they were removed a few years earlier, so now I can’t even call a cab.   I am not sure what I am going to do except to solicit the help of one of the other vendors.

The show today was quieter, but a knowledgeable neighbouring vendor said that is common for a Friday, and to expect Saturday to be as good as Thursday and Friday combined.    I can live with that so let’s cross our fingers.  Right near the beginning, one of my young customers from the previous day stopped by to show me what she makes, using her crochet skills.  She crochets mini horse blankets for horse dolls that are donated to some charity.  She reminded me so much of my grand-daughter Danai with her beaming smile.

Phoenix is truly a strange town and I have not gotten to see any of its beauty as my hotel is basically in an industrial area between a whole lot of freeways.

My brother Fern picked me up across the street from the show and drove me ½ hour out to their gorgeous spot in Mesa on a golf course.  At least I got closer views of some the mountain scenery, like Red Mountain and Superstition Mountain.   We watched the sun set and made a quick call to my Mom in Calgary.  Eileen cooked up a delicious supper and we had some fun conversation and then I showed them my pictures of Ecuador.  I felt sorry that Fern had to make another 1 hour round trip to get me home and I sure appreciate his thoughtfulness.

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

Thursday January 31/13

Thursday January 31/13  update #354

Last night I skimmed the manual for my new camera which is about 200 pages compared to about 10 pages in my Sony manual.  I was relieved to see that I really can take movies with the new Canon and even edit them, right in the camera.

I don’t know why I sleep so well in hotels, but I do…  It must be the combination of air-conditioning, the resulting white noise, soft pillows and hard beds, combined with a tired body.

I was up early, made coffee in the room then went downstairs for complimentary breakfast before walking to the show and it must be close to 2 miles to take me 30 minutes.    I find it interesting that every time I glance south there is a jet in the sky, every time.   Their airport must be really busy!

There was a very long lineup to get into our building even ½ hour before showtime but I was kinda surprised that they let the public in 15 minutes early, probably so the old folks wouldn’t pass out in the sun!   Anyway I was ready for them.  The day started sort of slow and I did a lot of demonstrating with slow results at first but then it picked up and lots of the early folks came back so I easily matched my best day in New York.   That bodes well for tomorrow which should be busier, and maybe Saturday might be a great last day.   Most shows end on a Sunday, which vendors euphemistically call “family day” because everybody brings their brats after church but, with this being a retirement community, we might just get lucky.

I talked to the show bosses about shipping out our leftovers and they said they have “decorators” that handle that so I will talk to them rather than try to drag it all back to the hotel where they don’t seem geared to handle anything like that.

The show is pretty spartan, just concrete floors, no carpets, so that is harder on the vendors and the customers but it helps to keep the costs down.   They want us to commit to next year’s show by closing time Saturday because they have a long waiting list of vendors.   I should know by then if it worth doing it again or not by then.   I imagine we could say yes and then change our minds...

I picked up supper and snacks with a huge juice at the corner gas station.  The chicken sandwiches were really not bad at all, and they had very reasonable prices. 

I just had a call from my brother Fern and he is going to pick me up across the street from the show tomorrow and take me to their place for supper tomorrow night.   How nice is that??   Fern says he was at the PGA Golf happening here right now and overheard someone say that their next stop was our show…

I only took a shot or two of our booth which is ideally situated for fresh air and good foot traffic.  The concessions are just outside the door too, so that is handy to slip out for lunch.

I tried to locate some photo shops close by but found they are all miles away, and they all close at 6pm, every day.  This place is worse than Regina for rolling up the sidewalks at dusk…

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

Wednesday January 30, 2013

Wednesday January 30/13  update #353

I have a couple of photos as promised from my evenings out with Keith, then Maurice.   I’ve also included a couple of special shots.   The first one is hanging in the Boston Pizza at Avenida, showing the old embodiment of the Battle Of Alberta with Dave Semenko and Tim Hunter.   It is a classic!

Then home on our fridge in Okotoks is the first picture of baby Peso before we bought him and had him shipped from North Carolina.   He was so cute and odd-looking that nobody could refuse that face, lol.

Well I didn’t need an alarm clock to get up at 2am and have a shave and shower in preparation for Gord to drive me at 2:45 to the Calgary airport.   I had left our home in Okotoks pretty much the way I found it, with little evidence that I was even there.  Our house-sitter Deb did not make an appearance at all while I was there so I had the place all to myself.

The US Airways jet actually left the gate 5 minutes early and landed in Phoenix almost an hour early, surprising my brother Fern who is holidaying in Mesa and kindly picked me up at the airport.  My room was not ready so we picked up our Eleggant Hooks boxes that had arrived at the hotel a few days ago and headed over to the Arizona Fair Grounds where the craft show is being held.  We were there an hour before set-up time so we just dropped off the boxes and went for a small lunch and to catch up with each other.

Fern then dropped me off back at the show and it took me less than 20 minutes to set up.  The fellow behind me said he was very envious because it takes him about 8 hours to set up.   I registered, got my name tag and then walked back to my hotel, the Comfort In West which is very nice and is only a 30 minute walk from the show.   The hotel has free wi-fi and coffee and breakfast, plus an outdoor pool and Jacuzzi.

I have checked the immediate area and the only eateries seemed to be a few Mexican restaurants, so I had a fish supper at one of them and it was really delicious.   I think there is a modest convenience store attached to a corner gas station so I will have to check that out tomorrow.

One thing I find really odd here is that I do not recall seeing one solitary cab since I have been here?  If I need one some day I am not sure what I am going to do.

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

Tuesday January 29, 2013

Tuesday January 29/13  update #353

I had collapsed into bed around 10:15 so I was up at 6:15 this morning.  There was a blizzard happening and no deer in sight.   Then, all of a sudden, this dog comes on the crest of the ravine, but wait, it is not a dog, it is a coyote, furry tail and all.  He gave me a look but went down the ravine before I could get my camera set.

I set about getting ready to pack, do laundry again, etc.   I was pretty upset at all the things I had to leave behind due to weight issues in my main suitcase.  There are just too many things that wouldn’t fit, or be allowed, in the carry-ons so many tools and clothes were left behind.

The temperature was –22C with a wind chill of –36C and it didn’t change much during the day

Bella’s son Greg had an awesome idea to get a 4.8watt solar charger for my car battery so I stepped out to pick one up. Hopefully this will alleviate any future problems car-starting problems.   The blizzard stopped around 10:30am and the sun was shining but still cold. 

I made one last trip into Calgary to see Mom and to meet up with my cousin Maurice Jalbert who actually got there before me.   It is sad to leave my Mom again but maybe this will give her reason to continue her good health until I return again.   Maurice and I went to Boston Pizza for supper and we kept ordering exactly the same things while having some scintillating conversation about life and family and travel.  Maurice is hoping to venture our direction possibly in September so we will look forward to that.  

I have a couple of photos but will have to post them at a later date as everything is packed up for my exit from Okotoks at 2:45am.  Thank you to Gord Berberich for the ride to the airport at that ungodly hour.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.   

Monday January 28, 2013

Monday January 28/13  update #352

I had an appointment to take the car in to Fountain Tire to replace the damaged module at 8am.   It was only supposed to take an hour so I went to visit at my old job at McFarlane’s down the block again.  I sure miss the people and the customers but certainly not the stress of trying to keep up to date all the time.

I figured trouble was afoot when I returned to Fountain Tire and my car was still inside the shop.   Dean said the module they received was not correct and they would have to get another from the US, taking 14 business days to arrive.  Of course that isn’t going to work so he then made a phone call to try to find a used one.   No luck there either so they just put everything back together and I will have to worry about it when I come back here next time, hopefully in May.  The only good news is that they did not charge me a dime….

My replacement at McFarlane’s, Janice, took me for lunch at Original Joe’s for a delicious but expensive fish n chip dinner that I had been craving.   I answered as many questions as I could to help her deal with the personalities of different staff and clients as that is a constant balancing act. 

When Janice was trying to pay the bill with Visa there was some consternation because it was continuously rejected, but her other credit card was accepted. We heard later on the radio that there was a problem with Visa today for 2 hours and that was of course exactly at the lunch hour.

I slipped home and closed my eyes for a few minutes but struggled to not actually fall asleep which would have been much too easy in my exhausted state.

I traveled into Calgary to see Mom for 3pm and we ended up playing tile rummy, just the two of us, and she beat me 3 straight games!  At least she didn’t gloat about it, but it sure shows how sharp her mind still is.

I then slipped downtown to meet my friend Keith at his favourite restaurant, Fleur De Sel, and we laughed and joked as we have always done since we met in 1989.  Keith now has a degenerative muscular disease with a horribly long name and it is truly sad to see this once-active gentleman reduced to relying on a cane.   Keith and I played many sports together over the years, especially wallyball, and he was always an inspiration to me since he was 10 years my senior and more active than me.

The weather was forecast to change drastically this evening to blowing snow and –19C and this began as we were finishing our supper.  I wasn’t sure how my car, with no proper defroster blower, would react to the colder temperatures and the constant snow on the windshield.   I didn’t dally much and took the quickest route I knew to get back home as quickly as possible.  The blowing snow could hide black ice, just as it obliterated the dotted lines, so I made sure I was well away from any other traffic wherever possible.   Many times the snow made a person rely solely on the shape of the road as we struggled to keep the vehicle on the road and out of the ditch.   I was thankful that the weather kept most folks at home so the traffic was relatively light as I navigated home safely.   Luckily the windshield stayed clear inside and out and the wipers did the rest.

Packing should be on the agenda tonight but that is going to wait until morning when I will do laundry and do everything at once and make sure I am within the weight allowances. 

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.    No photos today, sorry.

Friday-Sunday January 25-27, 2013

Friday-Sunday January 25-27/13  update #351

Friday did not start off well but ended up really well.   I had set a doctor’s appointment for an annual physical with Dr Anderson ages ago from Ecuador for Friday at 10:30 and  I was there 10 minutes early.   The waiting room was jammed and more people showed up after me, yet I was not even called to sit in an examining room after 40 minutes, but folks who arrived after me were waited on almost immediately.  I had to be on the road very quickly so I was not a happy camper at all.  I got up and told the receptionist that I had traveled 7,000 kms, and had arrived on time, and had had to rearrange my schedule to accommodate their limited appointments available, so I was not appreciative at all of having to cool my heals all this time, and I walked out. 

My next problem was to hope that there would be enough heat for a long highway journey from a car with no heater blower.   I needn’t have been concerned because there was more than enough heat pouring out, even without a blower.   Add in the heated seats and I drove with a window open most of the way.   I thought of it too late to turn down my request for the maximum heat because I certainly didn’t need it.

I made my way to Wetaskiwin to visit with my son Todd, grand-daughter Heather who is pregnant, and grandson Tyson.  It was a really pleasant visit and it was nice to see all the stones and polished gems that Todd has been working on.   Todd is one of the head maintenance people with the City of Edmonton and he is tasked with looking after their largest rec complex in Terwilligar.  His wife Janet got tied up at her busy management job at Money Mart and didn’t make it home in time to visit.  Grandson Cody was similarly busy in town and unable to come and chat. 

Heather is due with my first great-grandchild on April 1^st so I am really looking forward to that.   I am hoping we can swing a return trip in May to combine it with our niece Bryna’s upcoming wedding on May 25.  I have tasked Bella with locating a trade show in that time frame for us to sell some of our Eleggant Hooks crochet hooks to finance the trip.

Around dusk I hopped back in the car and headed to Edmonton.  The new Anthony Henday ring road has been completed around the west side of Edmonton and takes me within a few blocks of my daughter Jill’s house in the north-central part of the city.  Driving right up the length of Edmonton is apparently 25 kms and the ring road is 50 kms, but the ring road had no lights and almost no traffic, with speed limits of 100kph, so it was a dream to bypass city traffic.   I got there in time to make many calls to different friends and relatives in the area.  I know I missed many more but time just didn’t allow for more.  Thank you to all those that indicated that they do follow this blog, because I often wonder who are my 35 or so very regular audience.   And thank you to Ash and Jill for always making me feel so welcome, and to Dawson for giving up his room for his PePere.

Saturday started off with a trip to deep south Millwoods area for a picture-taking session for grandson Dawson’s hockey team.  The backup goalie got lost on the way there so the photos were delayed a long time.  I was really impressed with the photographer’s ideas for shots and can’t wait to see his results.

On the way back we stopped to buy a new goalie stick for Dawson and had a quick panini lunch at Tim Horton’s.   We arrived home by 2pm and were greeted by a visit from our niece Shelley whom we had not seen in many, many years, so that was very special.

We had an early supper then headed off to the Cold Snap Cheerleading competition at the Northlands grounds where grand-daughter Danai was performing.  This competition was extremely well run and had countless teams running on a very tight and exact schedule.  Danai is only 12 and I was completely blown away by her team’s performance!  I thought it rivaled anything Jill did in High Scholl or even with the Edmonton Eskimo Cheerleaders!  They were flawless and easily got a first-place trophy.

Ash and I slipped out immediately after the performance to head back to Millwoods for a hockey game featuring grandson Dawson.  He is 15 years old, a goalie, and carrying the weight of his whole team on his back because the team is really bad and giving him no support.   The game was never out of reach as Dawson kept the score close with many spectacular saves but they ended up losing, again.   On neighboring sheets of ice we watched younger players giving much better efforts than poor Dawson’s teammates.  I hope the season is mercifully over soon for him.  Dawson attends a sports school and has had big-name coaching including all-star Grant Fuhr who won many Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers.

Sunday was yet another trip to south Edmonton to watch grand-daughter Danai practice volleyball in the phenomenal Saville Sports Center.  This complex has so many courts and sports that I lost count.  I was duly impressed with wheelchair basketball athletes that were practicing there.

Danai is such a jock that I tease her, but she has been doing track and field, diving, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and cheerleading, with older kids, and definitely not looking out-of-place.  She was in the top-four in the province in track and field in her age group! 

Sadly I had to depart for my trek back to Okotoks and I picked up our friend Mavis in Leduc for the trip back.   She is such delightful company.

I arrived home and saw that my brother Laurent from Redcliff had called so I returned the call.   He said his son Doug, with wife Joanne, were in Okotoks to watch their son Justin play hockey in the arena near our home so I went straightaway and surprised them.   One of Joanne’s uncles lives in the area and he was there too.   Another of life’s little surprises…..   I actually was watching the hockey with trepidation because I feared history would repeat itself.   Doug played many years ago with the Fort McMurray  Oil Barons and I would go watch him play occasionally, however he would get injured in every game I attended, the worst being a ruptured spleen when playing in Sherwood Park, hence I stayed away after that.   12-year-old Justin is looking to be a chip off the old block so I was ready to bolt for the door if necessary.  But the game ended with no mishaps so I breathed a sigh of relief.  I must say this Redcliff team was well coached, and had talent, and would easily have beaten the 15-year-olds on grandson Dawson’s team!   Let’s hope that Justin proves not to be as accident-prone as his father.

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

Thursday January 24, 2013

Thursday January 24/13  update #349

I slipped in early today to see Mom in Calgary and had to take a few shots of the Rockies on the horizon because they are just so magnificent with a coat of snow.
Mom asked me to take her photo because she had gotten all dressed up.  I have to admit she looks pretty darn good for a 96-year-old.  She still has a sharp mind but shows a few signs of creeping dementia in her little bouts of nastiness which cause a lot of grief for my dear sister Leonie who bears the brunt of these attacks.  I wish there was something that could be done to relieve this.  
Anyway I took Mom out in the car on a beautiful day with the temperature near the freezing mark.  She likes our Park Avenue for its leather seats and grab handles so she can easily swing herself into the car.  We didn’t go very far because her heart was set on having a Meateor Pizza at Boston Pizza, only a couple of blocks away.   We were the only patrons at 11:30 so we got immediate service and we really enjoyed the Meateor, but not the $30 price tag.
Leonie came over for a short visit upon my arrival at home and then I had a scheduled visit from our plumbers to do the annual servicing on our furnace and humidifier.   The young plumber, Kirk from GM Mechanical, was extremely pleasant, knowledgeable, and thorough.  He also gave me the lowest bill ever for such a cleaning so I was very pleased.
The deer continue to frequent our back yard and give me some photo opportunities, which I carefully take advantage of without disturbing their activities.    I also did some work on that photo of the deer with the rabbit 2 days ago and I hope you like the result.
There may be no blog for the next couple of days as I head to Wetaskiwin and Edmonton to visit with my kids and grandkids.
That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.    Please see all photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Wednesday January 23, 2013

Wednesday January 23/13  update #348

I had a good sleep and didn’t want to get up but I still had so much to do.  After doing my email chores, etc. I headed to re-register the car, now that Canadian Direct finally sent me a pink card.   That was painless and quick as they accepted my US cash at par.

Then I headed over and dropped the car off early at Fountain Tire and crossed my fingers that they would discover the electrical problem quickly and fix it before I returned. 

It was a blustery day with negligible fluffy stuff floating around, and quite cool with a –23C wind chill, so I was glad I opted for my long johns today.   The hoar frost on the trees and shrubs was very beautiful but there was no sunlight to really show it off.

I walked briskly over to my old office at McFarlane’s where the lady that took over my job, Janice, had intuitively offered me the use of her car for the afternoon.   She has been following this blog and took pity on me because of my tale of woe.  Her timing for this offer couldn’t have been better and it allowed me to make yet another trip to see Mom in Calgary.

On the way in I stopped at Future Shop first to try to get a remote cord for my new camera.   They had quoted me $15 via email but unfortunately they had none in stock.  Next I tried Vistek, who actually had one but wanted $40 for it so I walked away.  Then I went to Visions and they didn’t even carry it.   They suggested I try Black’s but I was going to be late seeing Mom so I skipped them.

The hoar frost on the trees in the yard at Bonavista Village was breathtaking so I hope the photos turn out as I am still getting accustomed to the idiosyncrasies of this new camera.

Mom is, so far, in a good mood when she sees me and we get along well, but then I avoid all touchy subjects.  She wanted to get music from her stereo because she is electronically challenged so I hooked up the speakers and found a reasonable country station.  The CD portion doesn’t want to work and she would never grasp the complexities of the dual cassettes so it was easiest to set one station and just show her how to turn on the stereo and to adjust the volume.  She is 96 after all and seems to think that we can just dial up Ian Tyson’s music at will.  There is so much stuff in that apartment that she will never ever use, so I made the suggestion that she start passing down some of these items to her grandchildren who could be interested in some items with a little family history behind them.  We munched on a few chocolates before I had to leave to return.   We have a date to see her again in the morning.

I managed to get the nice little Alero back to Janice before 4pm when she had to leave for a Calgary appointment.  Then she drove me over to Fountain Tire and refused to take any money for gas or anything.  Thank You Janice for your kindness.   My car was sitting outside the shop so I was very hopeful.

Fountain Tire had the good news, bad news scenario waiting for me unfortunately.   The good news is they found the problem was a blown module.   The bad news is that they can’t possibly get a replacement part here before midday Friday when I will already be on my way to Edmonton…. And the part alone is about $330, with one hour’s labour to install it.   So I can say goodbye to another $500 just like that!  Our new appointment is now Monday 8am to get the repair completed.

I slipped home to pick up a few items and to make quick calls to Leonie and Mavis regarding my altered plans.  Leonie will probably accompany me to see Mom tomorrow and Mavis will have to decide about risking a drive in a cold car on Sunday, coming back from Edmonton.

Then it was off for a long anticipated meeting with friends for our old Wednesday Wing Night at Foxy’s at 5pm.   I don’t know how many years ago we started the Wednesday gatherings for wings, but it started at the George about 6 years ago and migrated to Foxy’s probably 4 years ago.   It is nice that our friends have continued this.  It was thrilling to see the faces of old friend Betty Boop (who looks fabulously slim), old co-workers Em and Gord, Jim, Jackie and Paul, and even my childhood classmate Roland and wife Theresa.  Many others are away holidaying in the Phoenix area so it is possible I may get to see them next week??  Gord secretly picked up my tab, again, so Thank You Gord for doing that, and also for agreeing to drive me to the airport next week in the middle of the night.   Friends like these don’t grow on trees, (just in them, ha, ha).

I am still kicking my butt that I did not take a photo of the group.

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

Tuesday January 22, 2013

Tuesday January 22/13  update #347

Today was a much better day, starting with seeing deer in the backyard twice today.  Then they gave me a bonus when they flushed out a white snowshoe rabbit from near the neighbor’s gate.  I have really missed seeing my deer friends so this was a very special treat.
I zipped in to meet Mom for lunch again.  She seems embarrassed that I like the food at Bonavista Village because it is one of her pet complaints, yet she eats almost everything without any problem.
Then I made it back in time to meet our dear friend Mavis for an hour’s shopping at Costco to pick up some staples that we can’t find in Ecuador, like SOS pads, Hy’s Seasoning Salt, Montreal Steak Spice, etc.  I also grabbed a couple of items of clothing and some larger printer ink cartridges. 
Then I mailed the Canada Pension application for our friend Oswaldo before meeting Leonie, Brian, Jeff, Nicole, Erin, Emma, and Amy for an enjoyable supper at Ricky’s.  To me, nobody has aged a bit in the intervening 15 months, except me….
Then I picked up Bella’s prescription refills at Safeway before heading home and making phone contact with a few more friends.   When talking to Em and Gord, they invited me over to see their pride in the achievements of their fabulous Golden Retriever named Cheemo who has been winning Best Of Breed ribbons across the country, including Best in the Province of Alberta and Best in the Dominion Of Canada.  Cheemo is such a docile and mild-mannered dog now that he is just a pleasure to have around.

So here I am again, trying to put together my blogs.

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

Monday January 21, 2013

Monday January 21/13 from Canada - nothing about Ecuador today

This isn't a pretty blog as nothing much went well today.
I arrived at Calgary International Airport at 1:30AM.  I waited around for my expected ride to show until 2am, but then the security guard said they were closing the airport and I had to leave.  I was forced to pay $100 for a 35 minute can ride home. 
After re-orienting myself with our home in Canada I realized that I had neglected to send off a note to my insurance company to put driving coverage back on the car so I attended to that right away by email.  I checked my Buick only to find that it was dead.  Groan....   After handling a few more chores I got to bed at 4am, watched the clock for 4 hours and was up at 8am.
First I contacted the furnace cleaning people to confirm our Tuesday morning appointment. 
Then I called a former co-worker down the hill and he came to help me push out the car and then it took us several tries to boost the battery.  We knew something was dearly wrong when it was melting the plastic handles on the booster cables, but we finally got it started.
I then went down to my old job to greet my former co-workers (who were begging me to return to work) and to begin the process of cashing in a life insurance policy.   I had left the car running outside to charge up the battery and at least that process was working, but then I quickly discovered my heater blower motor was not operating.   Fountain Tire said they could fit me in at 3pm.
I sped into Calgary to meet my 96-year-old Mom, whom I haven't seen in 15 months, and we had a nice lunch in the Bonavista Village dining room.  Mom had asked to see pictures of where we live now so we went to the computer room and I proceeded to show her the 250 photos I had selected.  I wasn't sure she would sit through that many but she was really quite fascinated with the photos and my stories that accompanied them.
I headed back to Okotoks and stopped in at home to check for messages.  My supper date with Mavis was confirmed, the furnace guys wanted to reschedule, and the idiots at the insurance company wanted to be sure I knew the premium was going to increase before they added the coverage....  I had no time to sit on hold for 45 minutes to call them back.
I left the car at Fountain Tire and walked back to my old job at McFarlane's and finished off the life insurance documents then proceeded to show my 250 photos to a couple of the guys.   I am pretty certain they were duly impressed.
I hadn't heard from Fountain Tire so I headed back there only to find that my suggestion of a blown fuse was only partially right.  A fuse was blown alright, but a replacement fuse also blew immediately so there is an electrical short somewhere else that they will maybe eventually find at a rate of about $120 an hour....   The appointment is now for Wednesday at 1pm.
Believe me, if I could just drop everything and head back to Ecuador, I would!
So, off I went to Turner Valley to meet Mavis for a delightful supper and great company.  She is such a sweet lady and a pleasure to talk to.
So now I am back at home in Okotoks and trying to sort out many things but it is getting really late and I am soooooo tired so I don't think I have time to post any photos.   I am doing laundry now because I don't know when I could fit it in later.
I sent off a nasty email to the insurance company idiots to stop calling and to just send me a pink card, so off to bed we go....
That was today's excitement.   Hugs to all.

Tuesday morning...  I posted a few photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com

Friday January 18, 2013

Friday January 18/13  update #345

We had left Cuenca last night in the worst rain and hailstorm we had ever seen there.   I got soaked just getting a taxi.  The van taking six passengers for $12 each 3 hours to Guayaquil actually got to leave 1/2 hour early so we made it to the airport with lots of time to spare.  It pays to be early because Ecuadorians are notoriously slow and the lineup behind me quickly piled right up.  Then at the security desk nothing was happening for 20 minutes until the team leader gathered all his officers on the side for a pep-talk, and I actually thought they were going to sing us a song the way they were lined up!  That took forever and we had the fancy body scan and a frisking.   Then we got frisked again before getting on the plane.

A red-eye flight is just what the doctor ordered and I would certainly fly LAN again.  The stewards were very pleasant and the lasagna was really excellent.  I may have actually gotten an hour's sleep in between watching a great selection of movies.

We landed this morning at 5:10 and again I was glad that I hustled to get down to Customs and Homeland Security.  I was at 1.5 lines and that quickly built up to about 10 snaky lines .  I don't know how they ever get through that may people when it took me almost an hour to go my short distance.   We are so delayed that our luggage has already been removed from the carousel.   I am surprised our luggage was till there....   

The cab ride to Manhattan from JFK should have been 29 minutes according to Mapquest but it took an hour because apparently there is a school bus drivers' strike so parents are all driving their kids to school.  

Well I finally made it and checked into the Marriott Marquis Hotel.  The hotel had held onto the 3 boxes we had shipped and actually discounted their usual charges to only $87 so we were very pleased with that.   I was doubly surprised when they quickly delivered my boxes right to our booth, so I began to set up.  

We spent a little to get a customized "Benson Box" for our basic booth equipment and display.  That has proven to be a wise decision because the box is just like new, especially compared to the cardboard boxes of stock that are barely holding together and would ned to be replaced.

We had picked booth 403 because of its proximity to the escalators, elevators and washrooms.  However the way they had the cloth walls set up people could hardly tell that we had any booths in our area.  My neighbors suggested opening the side wall and actually asked permission of the show boss who quickly approved the change.  The net effect is that I ended up with an enviable corner booth without having to pay heavily for that privilege.  Now people could look up and see that there were some retailers in this area.  

I slipped out to get a bite and, even though they claimed it was only around the freezing mark the wind and damp made it bitterly cold.  I even stuck on a toque because I only have my light fall jacket with me.

I tried napping unsuccessfully but at least my body got some needed rest.

Then it was time to get back and finish setting up for the show for a preview evening from 5-8pm.   We had a good start for those first 3 hours so we are hoping for a good final 2 days.

Afterwards I slipped out again to the streets of Times Square to get some street vendor supper fare and enjoyed seeing myself on a couple of the amazing Jumbotrons.  There was even a "Naked Cowboy" on the street and many other cartoon characters offering themselves for photographs.   While New York is often portrayed as a violent and scary place, downtown Manhattan is not scary but a truly magical experience. 

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

Wednesday January 16, 2013

 Wednesday January 16/13 update #344

Bella has a rare day at home and is exhausted from all the demands on her time, bridge games, bridge classes, charity work, etc. etc.   She really needs to cut back on some of the activities as she is busier now that when she was working.   

I was tired of being housebound so I slipped out to El Centro and met Jay so I could show him a few more of the places he wanted to see, the Mayor’s office, the Post Office and one of the best home decorating stores in Cuenca.   We stopped for a shawarma at a Middle Eastern place and had some laughs with some local students at a nearby table.  We also manage to shoot a few shots around town, getting to the second storey of a couple of buildings surrounding Parque Calderon to get some fresh angles..   

I bought a pound of fresh cherries from a street vendor for $2 and headed home.

There will be no blog tomorrow as I will be en route to New York City, then Canada, then Phoenix.

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

Tuesday January 15, 2013

Tuesday January 15/13  update #343

Bella came home very late last night from teaching a bridge class and then joining some other Ecuadorian women in a triumphant return to the Cuenca Bridge Club.  Bella and Cathy took my advice and beat the pants off the men to get a measure of respect from them.

This morning she was off again to teach another class while I busied myself getting my gifts for home organized.  I will be going home with 2 virtually empty suitcases.  I am actually going to load 2 backpacks inside my big black suitcase for the trip, and I still might have to use blown-up punch balloons to add some body to the suitcase so it won’t get crushed.  A hard case suitcase is going to fare better when it is solid.

Next I tackled the new shelf unit which came delivered, but put together all wrong.  It is just emergency storage and won’t hold a whole lot of weight.  They were supposed to make the left legs an inch longer to compensate for the floor slope but they had made it front to back instead.  Thank God for electric drills and nut drivers.

Jay came over for a visit to wish me well on my trip so we made popcorn and watched “The Gods Must Be Crazy”.  I had watched this old movie last night but certainly didn’t mind watching it again.   It is a classic from about 32 years ago.

We have had no response at all to my emails to the show organizer, the hotel, or the show service contractor in NYC.  I thought of it too late, to try to delay or hold our shipment from reaching the hotel.  I checked this morning and the 3 cartons totaling 100 lbs were on a FedEx truck at 5:45am and later saw that they were delivered at 12:39pm.  At least we know they have arrived and weren’t refused by the hotel.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.   No photos today either.

Monday January 14, 2013

Monday January 14/13  update #342

Oswaldo came over and we gave him help in contacting Canada Pension to help him apply for Canada Pension and a Survivor benefit.  Once he gets a couple of documents together I will take his application to Canada with me for mailing.

He kindly then dropped off Bella near San Blas for a Doctor’s appointment then he helped me confirm that I will have no problem catching a van to Guayaquil on Thursday at the appointed time.  We had heard that all the van companies were illegal and had been shut down, but there was certainly no evidence of this.  Oswaldo was satisfied that I should have no problems because I certainly don’t want to have to take 5 hours to get there on the green bus.  We also made it known that we want to be picked up before midnight on Feb 3.   I have to pay on Thursday.

Then I caught the bus over to the Rotary Market area to pick up my new shelf unit.  Naturally it wasn’t ready, claiming that the manufacturer had made it 1 meter wide instead of 36” or 90cm wide.  She said to come back at 4:30 so I started wandering the stores.  She called me so I went back.  Now it wouldn’t be ready until 6:30 so I said that wouldn’t do.  There are no reliable buses at that time and there is no guarantee I could find a truck  near Rotary Market to get the shelf home.

So I said, if he is bringing this from elsewhere anyway, why can’t he just deliver it to my house near Monay Mall??  It is all paid for, so she checked with them and agreed.   I gave them a detailed diagram and they have my phone number if they get lost.

When I got back home another headache reared its ugly head.  The show in New York now claims that our hotel, the huge Marriott Marquis, can’t handle everyone’s show boxes so they are going to contract this to the show contractors.  I saw RED!!!  They tried to pull this shit on me in North Carolina and I flatly refused to pay the extortionist $75 they wanted.   I sent off an email to the contractor, the show, and the hotel refusing to pay extortion.  I told them that the Marriott can certainly handle 4 small boxes for us considering the room rates we are paying, or it will be our last stay in a Marriott.  And I told them of our poison pen and the many blogs we have to spread the good word about our experience.  We’ll see if I am successful… 

No photos today, I just wasn’t in the bloody mood.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.  

Sunday January 13, 2013

Sunday January 13/13  update #341

Bella was off to teach bridge, then to play bridge at Joe’s.  We briefly discussed our schedules to see when we have time for each other, lol, to discuss my needs for the upcoming trip.

Part of my day was putting down everything I can think of on paper so I have all my details and also know what I am missing.  I rely so much on Bella to keep track of details that I almost forget how.

I also had to compose a sad email to relatives with details of the passing of one of our Uncles, Georges Desroches in December at around age 87, then the passing of Georges’ only son on January 5^th.  There is only one left, cousin Aline now, since Auntie Solange passed away in the late 60’s I believe it was.

Then the afternoon continues to be filled with doing laundry and working on more Pase del Nino photos.   It is definitely time-consuming to come up with a great result so it is a labour of love…   If someone has a great idea to market these photos, at minimal expense, I’d love to hear it.

Bella had supper prepared already so she just had to call me to throw it in the oven so it would be ready upon her arrival.

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

Saturday January 12, 2013

Saturday January 12/13  update #340

I actually stayed in bed for almost 9 hours and didn’t even hear Bella leave for her bridge classes.  I got all freshened up, did the usual chores and tackled a few more Pase del Nino photos which you will see, probably tomorrow.

I sent off a note last night to a camera store in NYC where I hope to purchase my new camera but was really disappointed in not receiving a response yet today.  People sure don’t seem very anxious to sell things these days as customer service really sucks, in all 3 countries.

I left early and padded my wallet to go get a few extra gifts to take back home.   It is a good thing I did add some cash because I came home with only $4… but I did get a good haul.

Then I made it over to Joe’s for a delicious meal of Osso Bucco, which is a veal stew, followed by Tiramisu.  The meal was wonderful and was enjoyed by many, many new patrons tonight, their first time at Joe’s.  The company was great and Joe even got to the piano as I was leaving.   I got part way home and realized I had left my camera in Joseph’s office so I had to go all the way back.

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

Friday January 11, 2013

Friday January 11/13  update #339

I did my photographic chores while Bella went to do her charity work at the weaving store.  I had offered to stay home today for Rosa’s arrival for cleaning so Bella could join her regular Friday bridge club but she begged off.  I never thought I would hear her say that it is just “too much bridge” at the moment, taking into account her lessons have re-started for another group too.

Lots of details to nail down for my trip next Thursday to North America, airlines, transportation, hotels, what to bring, what to buy, digging up addresses and phone numbers, on and on….  This is all going on paper because I can’t rely on my old brain to retain all this.   I had no idea it would take me most of the day to organize this alone.

I spoke to my Mom only to find out that one of my Montreal Uncles passed away a while back then his son also expired later.   It is strange that nobody informed us about this at all so I am trying to get the details to pass this on to my email list of interested family members.

I only had time to work on 3 more Pase del Nino photos before rushing to catch a bus for supper.   Bella made reservations at California Kitchen for baby back ribs, her favourite, and we were joined by Oswaldo and Cathy.  Oswaldo speaks excellent English as he lived in Toronto for 16 years.  Cathy speaks little English but is an avid bridge player that seems to be a good fit with Bella.  They needed to get settled on a convention to follow for their bidding so they can be a deadly combination.  Cathy may return to the Cuenca bridge Club with Bella and try to kick the butts of the presently male-only establishment.

They had some nice soft jazz playing right next to us so it was a trifle loud for us to converse but we managed to have a lot of laughs.   Oswaldo is looking for help with Canada pension questions so Bella has promised to help him with that.  They drove us home and came in for a tour of our mansion.

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

Thursday January 10, 2013

Thursday January 10/13  update #338

We slipped out a few minutes earlier today because we wanted to investigate getting a shelf  for the front area in side the gate.   I had made many measurements and had fancy diagrams but ended up going for a custom-made metal shelving unit with 3 moveable shelves up to 2 metres high, on wheels, and the left side 1” lower due to the floor slope.  This is painted white and ready to go on Monday for $45!

We had an appointment for Oswaldo to pick us up in his lovely old 1970 Ford LTD and head out to their place.  The ladies, Cathy, Bella, Karen and Manon played bridge while the men, Oswaldo, Mark and myself stayed on the patio and yakked for 4 hours.  The time passed very quickly.   I had understood that Oswaldo played billiards and had got the impression that he had his own pool room but I was horribly mistaken.

Their home is delightfully decorated with many antiques, including many old cameras, some models of which I or Mark have also owned at one time.  They also have two dogs, one lovely small pug and a huge one reminiscent of Pot Roast in the Super Dogs competition.  This big dog stays in “jail” most of the time because he has no manners at all and bowls over people when he is not eating everything in sight.

We made a brief stop at Joe’s to pick up some spare ribs they owed us before heading to this delightful restaurant across from The Palermo, right of the Oro Verde Hotel.  Like usual, we were the only couple there this early in the evening, and also because this restaurant is a huge secret.  It has no signs and is hidden in a “plus-15” over a parking lot so most people don’t even know it exists, but the food is great as are the prices.

Bella informs me my flights have changed slightly for my trip and we struggled to make decisions on how many trade shows to do selling our Eleggant Hooks.

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

Wednesday January 9, 2013

Wednesday January 9/13  update #337

It was a lazy day mostly for the two of us.  I did multiple uploads to my photo sites then had a quick lunch to try to make it downtown by 12:30.  I didn’t want to catch the photo stores closed for siesta.  The #50 took forever to come and then to make its way through downtown.  

Luckily the Fuji store was open so I went in with my memory stick to get two 5” x 7” photos done.  I approached the self-service machine and had assistance from the young PhotoShop expert but could only get the JPG to show and not the PNG.  So the young lady patiently took the stick upstairs and processed something then sent the photos back down to the self-service machine.  Then she calmly printed the one and I didn’t even see her process the second one at all but kept my mouth shot.   Then she handed me a tag to pay at the counter which she then came to serve me at.  I was expecting $3 each because of samples on the wall but the total bill was a whopping 70 cents, I almost fell over and asked her if it was for both photos and she said yes.  When I got the package I double-checked and there they both were, in vivid Fuji colour.   They are just an awesome place to deal with.

As I stepped out I looked up at Michael & Susan’s place above the Konica store across the street just as the balcony doors opened.   So Michael and I had a little conversation above the traffic noise and I headed down the street.

I stopped at one of the many Video stores and picked up 4 more movies, one being a duplicate as I couldn’t remember all of the 200+ movies we own down here.   I was asking for “Absolutamente Amor”, for “Love, Actually” but they didn’t have it.  They wanted to close for lunch so I was rushed and only took the 4, including Chicago, Josey Wales, Cool Hand Luke, and the duplicate of You Only Live Twice.  They had such a phenomenal selection I could have walked out with armloads of movies.

I got off the bus early and got a key cut for the inside door (60c) and tried to see the metal fabricators to talk about getting a rolling shelf unit for inside the gate, now that the bike is no longer hogging that space, but they were closed for lunch.

When I got home I cleaned up the new picture frames and installed the new Fuji photos and they look awesome.  I hope our hosts tomorrow like them.

I went back to the metal fabricators again and the boss still wasn;t around, but the hired hand remembered me as the man with the two cats on Popayan.  I asked for him to ask his boss to come over and take some measurements but he never did show up.

Mmmmm, nachos for supper, a very welcome treat.

And I got to work on a few more photos from the Pase Del Nino.

Now time to watch a movie.

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

Tuesday January 8, 2013

Tuesday January 8/13  update #336

Last night I was treated to a home-cooked birthday supper by Karen and Mark and we enjoyed some fun and lively conversation.   We were trying to decide on gifts for some Ecuadorian friends and it was suggested that I bring some of my photographic work and that seemed like a reasonable idea so I started work on that this morning.  The lady, Cathy, like flowers so I have done up a few options for Bella to choose as well as a few people and children favorites.  The husband, Oswaldo, is very much into billiards so I went online to find a “Dogs Playing Pool” print for his billiard room.  I will have to go to the Fuji store to get them printed tomorrow.

My other task today was to put together some photos for Mom who wants to see our house, etc.   At the same time I wanted to have some interesting shots to show other family and friends.  Going through some 10,000 or so photos takes a little doing, especially when you only have 4Gb to save them on.  I somehow managed to keep it down to about 250.

Bella was off to the Book Exchange and for another grocery pickup which doesn’t take her very long.

I was working away and all-of-a-sudden the power goes off, and it was not returning right away.  I looked out my window to see if there is an obvious problem and spotted it right away.  In front of the house on the opposite corner there was an electrical crew moving a concrete light standard.  I took a few shots because I thought for sure they were going to drop the pole and the electrician on the ladder right onto the newly built house.  They may work very rudimently, but the little devils do get the job done with hand and ropes.  Truly amazing!

I walked over to see when they expected to restore our power and they said one hour, so I went over to Coral and picked up 2 picture frames and a new shelf and brackets to install above the washing machine, total cost $16. 

Bella was toying with the idea of changing washing machines because this machine did not seem to get our clothes as clean as we are accustomed to.  But, smart lady that she is, she decided to compare some real Tide with the local soap and the difference was immediate.  The local liquid soap, supposedly extra strength etc etc just doesn’t cut it.  This saved us another few hundred dollars again, now that we haven’t had to replace our washer nor our stove.

I took a break from my photos and went and installed the shelf in the lavanderia.  I got the first bracket up but needed Bella’s help to get the shelf level while I marked the wall for the second bracket.  Again, the walls are concrete so you have to make sure you get it right the first time with the wall anchors.  Sonuvagun we ended up with a pretty level shelf that won’t fall down.   I am sure my Dad would be proud of me as he was a pretty darn good carpenter.

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

Monday January 7, 2013

Monday January 7/13  update #335

I can’t believe I stayed up until 3am because I wouldn’t quit on one photo that took me 4 hours to process.

See below to see the results that I am extremely pleased with.   These are 3 photos from the parade yesterday that I really love.  Hope you like them too.

So I then forced myself to stay in bed until noon then did my chores.   Then it was back to working on a few photos.  This is no longer a 10 or 20 minute operation.  Some photos take hours to get to where a professional photographer might deem them acceptable.   It is a lot of work but I am generally happy with the results, much better than my previous attempts.

Bella went to do banking and grocery shopping.

Tonight we are out visiting.   More on that later.

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

Sunday January 6, 2013

Sunday January 6/13  update #334

I started the day by working on photos again, so many to get through yet….

Bella was having a few gals over to play bridge so Mark Anderson and I worked on a few more pictures until we slipped out to capture the Parade Of The Innocent Children on Huayna Capac.  The parade apparently commemorates the day King Herod had all the male babies in Judea killed.  It seems every type of costume is allowed, and there were some great ones.  Our favourites were the ones all painted blue depicting the Avatar characters.  They had bows and arrows and even had the hissing action perfected.

The parade was supposed to start at 4pm, but on Ecuador time.  We arrived about 5pm and it hadn’t started yet.  The crowd of about 30,000 surged onto the street only allowing one lane for the parade so motorcycle cops would move them back to allow for 2 lanes but the crowd would just surge back as soon as they went by.

We found a spot atop a planter but would continuously get Ecuadorians jump up and stand in front of us, ruining whatever little angle we had to shoot.  Oh well, the parade was going at a snail’s pace so we got many great shots of folks passing behind us.   Most regular Ecuadorians are hams at heart and love to have their photos taken.

The girls met us at the parade and we gave up shortly after 6pm as it started to get dark.   We fought our way to Big Kabudas for our burger fix and were greeted by Jesus in costume.   He says it has been crazy there for the last 3 days and he has to close up when he runs out of supplies.  He was going through 500 buns per day! 

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

Saturday January 5, 2013

Saturday January 5/13  update #333

I was having trouble sleeping so I got up at 4am and started to search for something that had been bothering me.  Paul Wolf said he had found that the river going by our places was the Yanuncay, and not the Tomebamba as I had thought, and he was right.  When the two rivers merge at Parque Paraiso just west of us I was sure that the merged river was the Tomebamba, but it is rightfully the Yanuncay.   Few maps show it at all so it took a lot of searching to figure this out.

I worked on photos until 8am then tried to catch a few winks until 11am when I got back into more photo processing.

We left early for Joe’s because we wanted to arrange a bus for me to get to the airport in Guayaquil and all those firms are near Feria Libre.  I need to catch a plane 11:10pm on the 17th, so that means I have to catch the bus at 5pm for a 3 hour drive and then a 3 hour wait at the airport.   The cost is a whole $12.   I am taking the red-eye to NYC to arrive at 5:55am.

We also checked for the cost of a van when I return at 10:35pm on Feb 3.  That is a different story because it would be a private trip costing $80, which really isn’t bad, but I would rather spend $100 and get an English-speaking driver I know to pick me up properly and drive me right to my door.  There are a few of those we know who would do this.

Joe’s Secret Garden was having its famous Southern Fried Chicken tonight so it was a full house as always.  There had been rumours of some people being upset at having their photos taken every Saturday however none of those were in evidence tonight as everyone was very jovial and cooperative.   I was careful to always ask permission tonight and the people were just wonderful.

Pretty soon I’ll have to start packing for that trip to Canada as the time sure flies by quickly.

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

Friday January 4, 2013

Friday January 4/13  update #332

Bella cancelled bridge today due to her cold but went downtown to meet Bettye to retrieve her whiteboard for use when she starts the new round of bridge classes later.    She also worked on year-end stuff for taxes, etc. 

I met Paul Wolf at 9am and we caught the #3 west to the end of the line in the Cajas for a little photography escapade.  The day was gray and drizzly a lot of the time but we managed to find some neat people and places to photograph.  I can learn so much from Paul who is a consummate professional.   Watching what he lines up for, and how he composes his shots, and how he decides when it is right to shoot, I learn something almost every shot.   We have different likes for what we want to shoot which is good in a fashion as we are rarely in each other’s way.  We walked about 2 kms further up the Cajas on a pretty steep grade, I don’t remember any downhill sections….. then we came back to the bus terminal and caught the same #3 downtown so we could get a deserved lunch.

The rivers are really high at the moment, almost as high as I have ever seen them near here but we are not in an area in danger of flooding.

Enjoy the pics today which have been enhanced in various ways for your viewing pleasure.   I have cut down the 92 shots to only 32.

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

Thursday January 3, 2013

Thursday January 3/13  update #331

Bella had arranged for a cat-sitter named Tamera to come and visit our place and get instructions because time will go by very rapidly and we have a few trips planned.  She mentioned to Tamera that I am a photographer and Tamera said she just bought a new camera, a Canon T3i of all things, and my jaw dropped! 

I spent the day on photos again and got on quite a roll, so you will see a few more photos from the Pase Del Nino again.   I hope you don’t tire of these beautiful children because there are a lot more to follow.

Bella has got quite a nasty cold so she had to cancel bridge tomorrow.

Tomorrow I have a little excursion planned…  Stay tuned.

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

Wednesday January 2, 2013

Wednesday January 2/13  update #330

Our repaired stove arrived at noon today and actually heats up to almost 450F now, happy days are here again!!  It was also under warranty so it didn’t cost us anything.  He said it was a problem with a thermocouple and insulation.   Bella is happy so that makes me happy.

Bella is having a lazy but busy day in spite of not feeling up to par.   She was making beautiful crochet teddy bear examples as she is apparently going to teach a class on making them.   She was so proud of herself yesterday, finding that rosary beads would make great eyes for the bears!!  Then she is taking down Xmas decorations with my help and followed that up with building up bridge boards to teach another accelerated round of classes.  No grass grows under her feet for sure.

I was still feeling a little queasy and dizzy today but worked a lot on photographs and uploads again.  I have a long way to go to even make a dent in the over 800 photos from Xmas Eve but I am determined to make them extra special.  Much of this involves cleaning a lot of backgrounds away and fine tuning the shot itself.  I am not timing myself or anything but most take more than an hour of work.   You will see a few more examples today.

Then I decided to head over to the old neighbourhood and get my haircut for a whole $2.  She does a very decent job, doing much more work than we get in Canada for a clip for $15.    The fresh air did a lot of good for my biliousness.

I think a movie is in order for tonight….

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

Tuesday January 1, 2013

Tuesday January 1/13  update #329

We went to Reshma and Rick’s gorgeous penthouse condo for a potluck party New Year’s Day.   I only saw the main floor but fell in love with their views, the layout and the woodwork.   They have an immense view from Turi right over to the Cajas.

Bella actually met a person at Parque Calderon at 9am to pick up a huge carrot cake birthday cake for me and then brought over to Reshma right away.   That evening everyone was raving about the cake, asking me for the recipe, or thanking me for having a birthday today.

There were many friends there and the great food and conversation helped lessen my ongoing hangover.  I am now happy to be back home and about 10 minutes away from crashing for the night.

THANK YOU to everyone for the Happy Birthday wishes.

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

Monday December 31, 2012

Monday December 31/12  update #328

We waited all day but the stove was not returned as promised.  Now we won’t see it until at least Wednesday for sure.  This is not a problem because we are eating out these next two days anyway.

This year we decided to try Joe’s for New Year’s.   The offering this evening was 20 Tapas dishes served like hors d’oeuvres throughout the night.  Some were tasty, like the champagne jello and the crème brule, but overall this was not my kind of meal, being a meat and potatoes kind of guy.   I was still hungry after.

At 7pm (New Year’s at GMT in London) we toasted the year in and shortly thereafter they burned the effigies in the street with all the ills from 2012.

They sang Happy Birthday for a gal whose birthday was Dec 31, then they sang it for me as well as a Jan 1 baby.

Finding a cab was tricky for the trip home but we shared a taxi home with Regina who lives a little beyond us.  We had to get out near the Monay mall because the road down was blocked off for a street party which was jammed with about 500 people.  We went home and I changed clothes to go back to watch the celebration which included comedy sketches with many guys in drag (a New Year’s tradition here) and then a darn good band called the Rumba Kings (their spelling).   At midnight the sky exploded with fireworks all over the city, another big tradition here.  Next year we will attempt to photograph this spectacle from a nice vantage point.

I wandered the area and noted they had one booth selling food so I had salchipapas, which are French fries with a half of a deep-fried hot dog, for 50c.   They had another small trailer selling liquor and pop which was also doing a brisk business.

I was watching the band from the side when the fellow next to me offered me a shot of Zhumir, a kind or rum liqueur, with an equal shot of lemonade.  That was so nice of them that I went over to the liquor booth and bought that same combination and brought it back to them as a gift.   It cost a whole $4.25!!  anyway we drank up, danced as a group and bought some more.  I don’t know what time I got home exactly, I think it was sometime around 3 or 4 and I was very wobbly, but a good time was had by all.    I haven’t had a hangover in a few years and I am glad it is a relatively mild one.

THANK YOU to everyone for the Happy Birthday wishes.

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

Sunday December 30, 2012

Sunday December 30/12  update #327

Bella went to Coral for groceries while I waded through more websites ,etc, about cameras.  I never thought it would be such a hassle to just get quotes for a specific package of goods.   The #1 place in New York has sent me 5 incorrect quotes and don’t seem too interested in making a sale…  Future Shop have quoted me about 50% higher than anyone else so far because they have no specials in effect.  Surprisingly I have found some used ones advertised on Kijiji for very good prices….

Next I started working on a few more of my photos from Xmas Eve.  Since Paul Wolf was here to help me, I have learned to be much more critical of my work and processing is much more involved.   I do love the results though so I will show you what I have done over the last 2 days.   At this rate, I’ll need almost 3 years to complete the beautiful works I have in the pipe.

With no stove to cook on we tried a roast chicken place across from Monay Mall.  Ecuadorian roast chicken is indeed tough to beat, but the peripherals are really tasteless and bland at most places, and this was no exception.

Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve and that blog will be exceedingly late so we will take this opportunity to again wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous NewYear!!!

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