25 Mar
This is were the Rubber hits the Road. Somehow I have to find a way to pack everything today and still leave enough room for my satellite dish and tripod. The fridge door that I purchased for the MH is the linch pin as I can't pile things on top of it so it has to stand up on its' edge. Then we have a large plastic box for all the loose items such as 2 jars of MX honey, several bottles of vanilla, a few bags of Cinnamon and 6 bottles of booze, etc etc It surprised me just how heavy all this crap weights.
I have already given up on using the rear view mirror because we will be packed to the roof. Once we packed the car we now had to clean the house which took us a couple of hours. We are also going out at 5 PM for supper at Dirty Al's, with several friends.
When we arrive home at 9 PM our Landlord was parked in our driveway. We knew he was coming to do the " close up " but we thought it would be in April. The landlord is 82 year old and he drove from Winnipeg to Weslaco in 2 days just to close up and I already said I would do it. I hope he is not staying long because I had the power disconnected for Monday. He said he came to pick up some boxes to take home but he must have been dreaming as there is not one box in the house. His wife is very ill so I think he will sell the house.
Anyhow, all we have to do tomorrow morning is to disconnect and pack the Satellite and I believe I have enough space but just barely.cheers
Friday, 31 March 2017
Thursday, 30 March 2017
Lazy Days
23 Mar
We can't do much but wait for Saturday so we can do the final packing and the cleaning of the house. We still have items in the fridge so that will be cleaned on Friday. I can't take my satellite dish down until Sunday morning because I need to watch a few hockey games on Saturday. Carroll thinks the Satellite dish should go on the roof of the car but I think I can get it in the car somehow????
At least we got some great curling to watch and since most of our food is gone we will go for lunch and supper at the local"Hispanic " restaurants just to get our last taste of Mexican "cuisine". cheers
24 Mar
It is amazing how much work is left to the last minute when you rent a place. With the MH you just close up the slide, raise the jacks and " Kick Ass ". However, with a rental you hope to leave it the way you found it and to the satisfaction of the owner.
Today we are putting everything that has to go in the car, in the kitchen / dining room area to make sure we have it all. There is much more "stuff" then I expected. If we shut off the fridge the beer will get cold so we can't clean the fridge until tomorrow. Carroll say she is doing the last washing today but I'm sure she will find clothes to wash again tomorrow.
Our friends who are also leaving on Sunday called to say that our group are going out to Dirty Al's for supper on Saturday and we are invited so we will accept the invite. We also took a paused to watch our favorite ladies curling team continue their winning ways. We hope they go all the way undefeated. cheers
We can't do much but wait for Saturday so we can do the final packing and the cleaning of the house. We still have items in the fridge so that will be cleaned on Friday. I can't take my satellite dish down until Sunday morning because I need to watch a few hockey games on Saturday. Carroll thinks the Satellite dish should go on the roof of the car but I think I can get it in the car somehow????
At least we got some great curling to watch and since most of our food is gone we will go for lunch and supper at the local"Hispanic " restaurants just to get our last taste of Mexican "cuisine". cheers
24 Mar
It is amazing how much work is left to the last minute when you rent a place. With the MH you just close up the slide, raise the jacks and " Kick Ass ". However, with a rental you hope to leave it the way you found it and to the satisfaction of the owner.
Today we are putting everything that has to go in the car, in the kitchen / dining room area to make sure we have it all. There is much more "stuff" then I expected. If we shut off the fridge the beer will get cold so we can't clean the fridge until tomorrow. Carroll say she is doing the last washing today but I'm sure she will find clothes to wash again tomorrow.
Our friends who are also leaving on Sunday called to say that our group are going out to Dirty Al's for supper on Saturday and we are invited so we will accept the invite. We also took a paused to watch our favorite ladies curling team continue their winning ways. We hope they go all the way undefeated. cheers
Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Packing/ Curling
20 Mar
We are doing what I will call pre-packing as we are leaving TX on the 26 th Mar, intending to arrive home on or about the 3 April. Since the Ladies World Curling is on this week we will be watching the games that are televised at a reasonable time. The games that are on at 2 AM will be watched on the re-run as they are not important enough for me to stay up to watch.
It also seems that when we leave home we have to take everything we can think of and once we get we wonder why the Hell we brought stuff we will never use. As an example we brought 2, folding chaise lounge chairs , thinking we would sit in them on our deck. As it turns out , we never took them out of the bags. Once we got here we realized that if we are going to sit in the Sun and read a book, we would do it at the pool where we could take a cool dip if it got too hot. I told Carroll that 6 Tee shirts and 3 pair of shorts,2 pair of shoe and 1 sweater was all I needed but " Oh No", she had to pack 15 Tee shirts and short and I swear I never worn 1/2 of them. I didn't even know I had some of these clothes until I got here.
Actually pre-packing meant Carroll making a list of things we brought and must remember to take home and me pretending I'm interested, because we are not leaving for 6 more days.
I also play Euchre on Monday evening but our group is dwindling as some folks have left already but I finally had the top point score for the first time. The top prize money is a dollar !!!! Cheers
21 Mar
As mentioned earlier I was looking all over NA for a used fridge door for our MH ( it's a 4 door fridge ) as the plastic hinge broke this past summer and since it is molded to the door you can not just replace the hinge. Incidentally, they do not make that fridge anymore. I finally for one in Red Bay, Alabama for the tune of 250.00 so I had it shipped UPS with hopes that it arrive before we left. It arrived today. It came in a box, 4 ft by 18 inches by 10 inches and this had to be included in our car that was already full when we came down. The roof was not an option since we don't have a roof rack. So I will cross that bridge on Friday when I actually pack the car.
We also got a call from some friends who have invited us to a Happy Hour followed by supper. They also said that the menu will be something in our fridge as we are cleaning it out, as they too are leaving on Sunday. Anytime there is a free beer and a meal , they don't have to ask me twice. Cheers
22 Mar
Today we actually stopped talking about packing and did some packing by putting things in boxes. I packed all the booze in a freezer box that I hope to get thru customs with paying a duty. I have 6 bottles but they are not all full. I found 4 bottles of wine so I will drop them off with our friends in Mesa whom we are visiting for 2 days. Those 4 bottles would definitely put me over the limit.
Carroll got the suite case out and packed it with the clothes we will need for our trip home which will likely take 9 days. Living out of a suite case is not much fun so we sure do miss our MH for travelling.
We decided to clean out the fridge freezer as we did have lots of frozen stuff so we gave it to our friends who had just return from their 2 month trip to South Africa. They mentioned that their daughter and family ( 3 Kids ) where coming for a week so they could use much of our frozen goods. These are the same folks who provided us with 2 days of B and B while we were in Nfld in Sept so this is our pay back. We then gathered up all the other food stuff's like cake mix, dry cereal, flour, sugar and condiments and gave it to the lady who does the daily cleaning of the rec centre. This lady wins the "food " Lotto at this time of the year because everyone gives here " leftover items " that won't keep until the fall when they return. Again , if we had the MH , all these items would be going home with us. Cheers
We are doing what I will call pre-packing as we are leaving TX on the 26 th Mar, intending to arrive home on or about the 3 April. Since the Ladies World Curling is on this week we will be watching the games that are televised at a reasonable time. The games that are on at 2 AM will be watched on the re-run as they are not important enough for me to stay up to watch.
It also seems that when we leave home we have to take everything we can think of and once we get we wonder why the Hell we brought stuff we will never use. As an example we brought 2, folding chaise lounge chairs , thinking we would sit in them on our deck. As it turns out , we never took them out of the bags. Once we got here we realized that if we are going to sit in the Sun and read a book, we would do it at the pool where we could take a cool dip if it got too hot. I told Carroll that 6 Tee shirts and 3 pair of shorts,2 pair of shoe and 1 sweater was all I needed but " Oh No", she had to pack 15 Tee shirts and short and I swear I never worn 1/2 of them. I didn't even know I had some of these clothes until I got here.
Actually pre-packing meant Carroll making a list of things we brought and must remember to take home and me pretending I'm interested, because we are not leaving for 6 more days.
I also play Euchre on Monday evening but our group is dwindling as some folks have left already but I finally had the top point score for the first time. The top prize money is a dollar !!!! Cheers
21 Mar
As mentioned earlier I was looking all over NA for a used fridge door for our MH ( it's a 4 door fridge ) as the plastic hinge broke this past summer and since it is molded to the door you can not just replace the hinge. Incidentally, they do not make that fridge anymore. I finally for one in Red Bay, Alabama for the tune of 250.00 so I had it shipped UPS with hopes that it arrive before we left. It arrived today. It came in a box, 4 ft by 18 inches by 10 inches and this had to be included in our car that was already full when we came down. The roof was not an option since we don't have a roof rack. So I will cross that bridge on Friday when I actually pack the car.
We also got a call from some friends who have invited us to a Happy Hour followed by supper. They also said that the menu will be something in our fridge as we are cleaning it out, as they too are leaving on Sunday. Anytime there is a free beer and a meal , they don't have to ask me twice. Cheers
22 Mar
Today we actually stopped talking about packing and did some packing by putting things in boxes. I packed all the booze in a freezer box that I hope to get thru customs with paying a duty. I have 6 bottles but they are not all full. I found 4 bottles of wine so I will drop them off with our friends in Mesa whom we are visiting for 2 days. Those 4 bottles would definitely put me over the limit.
Carroll got the suite case out and packed it with the clothes we will need for our trip home which will likely take 9 days. Living out of a suite case is not much fun so we sure do miss our MH for travelling.
We decided to clean out the fridge freezer as we did have lots of frozen stuff so we gave it to our friends who had just return from their 2 month trip to South Africa. They mentioned that their daughter and family ( 3 Kids ) where coming for a week so they could use much of our frozen goods. These are the same folks who provided us with 2 days of B and B while we were in Nfld in Sept so this is our pay back. We then gathered up all the other food stuff's like cake mix, dry cereal, flour, sugar and condiments and gave it to the lady who does the daily cleaning of the rec centre. This lady wins the "food " Lotto at this time of the year because everyone gives here " leftover items " that won't keep until the fall when they return. Again , if we had the MH , all these items would be going home with us. Cheers
Wednesday, 22 March 2017
Texas Rose.... 22 Mar 17
19 Mar
Next Sunday we will be on the road heading for AZ on the way home. So today it was our last Sunday breakfast with the 3 couples who are our friends. This group always chooses a different restaurant each Sunday and every restaurant , so far, has been a Mexican style menu. They do have all the "American " type menu items but those Hispanic's just have to have a "burning hot sauce " and "Re-fried Beans" for every meal.
During the breakfast conversation someone suggest that we go to the Texas Rose Bar in a small town at 2 PM which is about 10 KM away. We had nothing urgent so we agreed to join them.
As with most small Bars they serve only Beer and Pop so you can, if you want too, bring your own Liquor drinks. This bar has an outside dance area , with a covered roof with a 3 guys who actually play excellent western music. The roof over the dance floor would probably not meet any construction codes. The tables are set up in a long row so it is long before you are in conversation with someone you do not know and in fact will probably never see them again. But for today , all stories are fair game and many strangers are very interesting.
I joking ask if the was a cover charge which got a laugh out of many folks. Then I seriously ask if there was table service and the answer was '"Are you kidding ". I took that as a NO so I wandered into the bar and Holy Moly, I thought it was 1930. The bar was full with about 75 guys and a smattering of ladies. I glanced around the room to see what decade I was in , making sure not to stare , even thought it was not easy. Most people where dressed in " Early American Garage Sale clothes" and I was advised that a Plaid shirt is called a " Crona Jacket".
I bellied up to the Bar to put in my order, hoping the only bar maid would see me. Several guys at the tables where calling to the Bar Maid to bring them a beer and they would hold up the bottle so she could identify the order. The bar maid was partial running around the room, and these guys where hollered for a beer so I thought their beer would be deliver up their Ass or down their throat but she did not seem to mind. I did notice that the tip Jar on the bar was a gallon jug and it was full so maybe the tips are good. She actually passed me 3 times and then she finally assured me I was next and I did get served.
The Music boys looked like " Willie " and his 2 buddies but their music was great as they kepted the dance floor full. I can laugh at the Bar but I bet it is a money making with very little overhead and lots of Drinkers. I have concluded that Texas does not have any building codes, fire codes, liquor codes. Cheers.
Never laugh at your wife's choices ; you are one of them.
Next Sunday we will be on the road heading for AZ on the way home. So today it was our last Sunday breakfast with the 3 couples who are our friends. This group always chooses a different restaurant each Sunday and every restaurant , so far, has been a Mexican style menu. They do have all the "American " type menu items but those Hispanic's just have to have a "burning hot sauce " and "Re-fried Beans" for every meal.
During the breakfast conversation someone suggest that we go to the Texas Rose Bar in a small town at 2 PM which is about 10 KM away. We had nothing urgent so we agreed to join them.
As with most small Bars they serve only Beer and Pop so you can, if you want too, bring your own Liquor drinks. This bar has an outside dance area , with a covered roof with a 3 guys who actually play excellent western music. The roof over the dance floor would probably not meet any construction codes. The tables are set up in a long row so it is long before you are in conversation with someone you do not know and in fact will probably never see them again. But for today , all stories are fair game and many strangers are very interesting.
I joking ask if the was a cover charge which got a laugh out of many folks. Then I seriously ask if there was table service and the answer was '"Are you kidding ". I took that as a NO so I wandered into the bar and Holy Moly, I thought it was 1930. The bar was full with about 75 guys and a smattering of ladies. I glanced around the room to see what decade I was in , making sure not to stare , even thought it was not easy. Most people where dressed in " Early American Garage Sale clothes" and I was advised that a Plaid shirt is called a " Crona Jacket".
I bellied up to the Bar to put in my order, hoping the only bar maid would see me. Several guys at the tables where calling to the Bar Maid to bring them a beer and they would hold up the bottle so she could identify the order. The bar maid was partial running around the room, and these guys where hollered for a beer so I thought their beer would be deliver up their Ass or down their throat but she did not seem to mind. I did notice that the tip Jar on the bar was a gallon jug and it was full so maybe the tips are good. She actually passed me 3 times and then she finally assured me I was next and I did get served.
The Music boys looked like " Willie " and his 2 buddies but their music was great as they kepted the dance floor full. I can laugh at the Bar but I bet it is a money making with very little overhead and lots of Drinkers. I have concluded that Texas does not have any building codes, fire codes, liquor codes. Cheers.
Never laugh at your wife's choices ; you are one of them.
Monday, 20 March 2017
Supper with Friends.... 20 Mar 17
18 Mar
Our friends from Nfld, whom we visited in Sept, while touring Nfld, have just returned to their winter home in TX from a 2 1/2 month trip to South Africa ( ZA ). We provided them with our maps of our trip to ZA and we also gave them a chip for their GPS and we also provided our experience which they found very helpful.
Our friends returned from ZA on the 16 th and they had a small window of opportunity to visit with us so we had them over for a Happy Hour and for supper. We spend a few hours to swap our ZA travel stories as they did visit some areas that we did not get the opportunity to visit and vice verus.
During their travels around the world they write an excellent Blog complete with picture so we follow they on a daily basis both on the blog and on FB. Cheers
Our friends from Nfld, whom we visited in Sept, while touring Nfld, have just returned to their winter home in TX from a 2 1/2 month trip to South Africa ( ZA ). We provided them with our maps of our trip to ZA and we also gave them a chip for their GPS and we also provided our experience which they found very helpful.
Our friends returned from ZA on the 16 th and they had a small window of opportunity to visit with us so we had them over for a Happy Hour and for supper. We spend a few hours to swap our ZA travel stories as they did visit some areas that we did not get the opportunity to visit and vice verus.
During their travels around the world they write an excellent Blog complete with picture so we follow they on a daily basis both on the blog and on FB. Cheers
Happy St. Paddy's Day... dated 20 Mar 17
17 March
All the "wannabe " Irish where wearing green today and as being a Friday it was grounds for many parties. Although we did not partake in any, for reasons I can't recall. I had other things on my mind like a dental appointment.
Today is the day I got a partial Plate to complete my dental work. My appointment was for 9:30 AM ( in Mexico ) but I showed up early, hoping that I would be the first customers, which I was. The last time I had a partial was 20 plus years ago ( in Med Hat ) and I recall that I returned to the dentist several time for some adjustments so I expected the same this time. The fit was much better than my expectations but they had to adjust ( meaning grind away ) one tooth in the partial so my bite was to my satisfaction. Once I was happy I made the finally payment and got my receipt. Now I hope that the Dental Insurance will cover most of the cost. A friend told me he paid 2100.00 for his partial in Canada so I would think that my Insurance company would be glad to pay 385.00 USD for mine.
We decided to go to Dirty Al's for supper in McAllen. A little history on Dirt Al;s.
Dirty Al's first restaurant was built on the Wharf , just above where his fishing boat was tied up , on South Padre Island ( SPI ) many years ago and it just served sea food and was famous for its' shrimp. We first visited Dirty Al's original restaurant in 1999, which incidental is still operating. It was and still is as basic as it could be and still meet the health regulations. You do the "walk up " order and they call your order number when ready. Then you grab a table, with an oil cloth cover( easy to clean ) normally with several other folks because these are large tables and hold about a dozen people. Hence , a conversation ensues with these folks. Also the napkins are a roll of paper towel so you get the picture of the ambiance.
Then a few years later, Dirty Al opened another restaurant in SPI , which is a normal type restaurant and we are told it is run by his son. This year we where told that there was a Dirty Al's restaurant in McAllen so we had to check it out. This restaurant has a complete menu and is more upscale, much like a Keg or a Tony Roma's. We had to wait 20 minutes for a table so you know that it was a busy place and has up scaled from the original Sea Food idea. The food was great and the cost was 40.00 which include my 4.00 beer. cheers
Did you ever wonder why there is a Stairway to Heaven but a Highway to Hell. Apparently there is more traffic going to Hell.
Saturday, 18 March 2017
Fridge Door... 18 Mar 17
16 Mar
Our MH has a large 4 door fridge ( 2 doors for the freezer and 2 larger doors for the Fridge ) and the hinge on one of the fridge doors snapped off this summer. Because our door has the hinge molded to the door you can not buy the hinge, hence you have to purchase a new door. So I called Norcold, the Mfg, and the bad news is that they no longer make that fridge hence , no spare parts. I went to Bruce's RV just to verify that the fridges were obsolete and he confirmed my worst nightmare.
My choices are to buy 4 new doors but I would need to buy a panel for each door and the estimated cost would be about 1500.00 My other choice is to search every RV/MH salvage yard and hope that someone has replace a fridge like ours and it is sitting in a salvage yard. This sounds like the "needle in the haystack " story and even then I never liked my chances
In my earlier blogs I mentioned that I had some Do Nothing Days but actually I was looking for this door. I first contact an America friend who spends the winter in Mexico and owns a MH just like ours and I recall that he had replaced his fridge. He gave me 3 possible sites that he has " Mined " for parts over the years but I had no luck. Then I did a search on all RV/MH salvages yards in North American and I got 3 pages of result which at first glance left me with much, but short lived optimism. I started calling and/or emailing each site but every thing was negative and nobody seemed to know where I could get help.
Finally I got back to my American friend, who is still in MX. He insisted I tried McKenny Salvage again, even thought I did call before. I called again and I ask if this was Mckenny Salvage and the guy sort of hesitated and said , it use to be, but it is now Bunkhouse New and Used RV Services so this was why, on my first try, that they said it was not McKenny. Anyhow the agent said he would check for a used Fridge door for our model and return the call later. I waited for 4 days without a return call so I called again. This time I got a lady and she took the model number and said she would call back within 2 hours. She called back and said I got your door but it will cost you 250.00 plus shipping. I was elated !!! She said I will send you a few pictures and if it's what you want please call back with your Visa and the address. She also said she would check on the shipping cost.
Once we seen the pics we knew it was the right door. We just could not believe that someone would have a used door for a fridge that was built in 2003 and was no longer being built. The door was shipped on the 16 March from Alabama and of this AM it has reach , Mesquite, TX near Dallas. It will arrive on Tuesday. One other problem we had to overcome. They would not accept my Cdn Visa so I had to get our friend Terry (from Med Hat) to pay for it with her US credit card. Cheers
The Founding Fathers said that Capitalism was created by Genesis' so it could be run by Idiots.
Our MH has a large 4 door fridge ( 2 doors for the freezer and 2 larger doors for the Fridge ) and the hinge on one of the fridge doors snapped off this summer. Because our door has the hinge molded to the door you can not buy the hinge, hence you have to purchase a new door. So I called Norcold, the Mfg, and the bad news is that they no longer make that fridge hence , no spare parts. I went to Bruce's RV just to verify that the fridges were obsolete and he confirmed my worst nightmare.
My choices are to buy 4 new doors but I would need to buy a panel for each door and the estimated cost would be about 1500.00 My other choice is to search every RV/MH salvage yard and hope that someone has replace a fridge like ours and it is sitting in a salvage yard. This sounds like the "needle in the haystack " story and even then I never liked my chances
In my earlier blogs I mentioned that I had some Do Nothing Days but actually I was looking for this door. I first contact an America friend who spends the winter in Mexico and owns a MH just like ours and I recall that he had replaced his fridge. He gave me 3 possible sites that he has " Mined " for parts over the years but I had no luck. Then I did a search on all RV/MH salvages yards in North American and I got 3 pages of result which at first glance left me with much, but short lived optimism. I started calling and/or emailing each site but every thing was negative and nobody seemed to know where I could get help.
Finally I got back to my American friend, who is still in MX. He insisted I tried McKenny Salvage again, even thought I did call before. I called again and I ask if this was Mckenny Salvage and the guy sort of hesitated and said , it use to be, but it is now Bunkhouse New and Used RV Services so this was why, on my first try, that they said it was not McKenny. Anyhow the agent said he would check for a used Fridge door for our model and return the call later. I waited for 4 days without a return call so I called again. This time I got a lady and she took the model number and said she would call back within 2 hours. She called back and said I got your door but it will cost you 250.00 plus shipping. I was elated !!! She said I will send you a few pictures and if it's what you want please call back with your Visa and the address. She also said she would check on the shipping cost.
Once we seen the pics we knew it was the right door. We just could not believe that someone would have a used door for a fridge that was built in 2003 and was no longer being built. The door was shipped on the 16 March from Alabama and of this AM it has reach , Mesquite, TX near Dallas. It will arrive on Tuesday. One other problem we had to overcome. They would not accept my Cdn Visa so I had to get our friend Terry (from Med Hat) to pay for it with her US credit card. Cheers
The Founding Fathers said that Capitalism was created by Genesis' so it could be run by Idiots.
Thursday, 16 March 2017
Going Shopping dated 16 Mar
14 Mar
I got up at 7 AM today , which is late for me and the temp was 12 C and this made me snicker because I turned on the Calgary CTV station and they predicted a high of 14 C today. However, I knew that we would overtake the temp in Alberta by noon and we did reach 30 C as we do most days.
After breakfast Carroll mentioned that we had to go shopping at the Outlet Mall and said what the hell for. After we pack the car, we would be luckily if there is enough room us.
Apparently , we can not go home without clothes for the "Okotoks " Kids. The last time that I checked their closet, they had clothes that still had tags on. Carroll thinks they will grow out of those clothes and how could I argue. This mall has hundreds of empty stores and every store has sales of 70 %. As an example. if you shop at IZOD you get a 10 and a 20 % discount if you buy at anyone of several other stores. Additional, the food court is partially empty.
We finished the day by hitting the Hot Tub as we usually do. One couple has there son, wife and G/Kids ( 2 teenage boys ) visiting. They are originally from Winnipeg but their son is an Engineer with Rockwell Inc and has been posted to Iowa for years. One boy was born in Wpg the other is an America. I ask the family if they would every return to Wpg and the wife said , not for a few more years because she is close to full pension as she work for the State. They agree that the weather wasn't much different. Cheers
15 Mar
We had another Nothing Day until 4 PM as we were invited to our friends place for Happy Hour and a delicious Bar B Q supper. One other couple in attendance from Wpg ( where else ) had just bought a Mobile home in the park. They forked out 20 K USD which equates to 27 K CDN. We returned home by 8 PM and hit the Hot Tub again. Cheers
Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Dental Run.... dated 15 Mar 17
13 Mar
Today I have an appointment at 1:30 PM to have the permanent Crowns installed and since Carroll wanted to get her teeth cleaned and to do some shopping , she accompanied me to MX. Amazingly , there was a Mexican Customs Officer at the entrance to the Border, which is surprise to all us Winter Texan because we have never see Officer there in all the years we have been here. I figure that they are just making sure that No Mexicans sneaks back into MX but that is just a guess on my part.
I arrived at 1: 30 PM and the Dentist said that the Crowns would not be ready for 30 Minutes. So said , do mean 30 mins or do you mean 30 mins which is 1 hour. He said , well maybe one hour so I said that we would go shopping and return in 1 hour, but first Carroll wanted her teeth cleaned which the Hygienist did right away before we went shopping. We returned at 2:30 and I still had to wait about 10 Mins before I got into the chair.
They removed the temporary Crowns and install the new ones, less the adhesive and they felt great except for a slight edge on one so they polished it and it felt good so they permanently installed the new Crowns and so far I am very happy with the fit.
They then took the impression to make the Plate and I will return on Friday to get the Plate. The Dentist always want to be paid for some of the work they have done after each appointment so I gave them 400.00 : cash or cheque, no Visa. Cheers
Condoms don't guarantee safe sex: a friend of mine was wearing one when he got shot by a woman's husband.
Today I have an appointment at 1:30 PM to have the permanent Crowns installed and since Carroll wanted to get her teeth cleaned and to do some shopping , she accompanied me to MX. Amazingly , there was a Mexican Customs Officer at the entrance to the Border, which is surprise to all us Winter Texan because we have never see Officer there in all the years we have been here. I figure that they are just making sure that No Mexicans sneaks back into MX but that is just a guess on my part.
I arrived at 1: 30 PM and the Dentist said that the Crowns would not be ready for 30 Minutes. So said , do mean 30 mins or do you mean 30 mins which is 1 hour. He said , well maybe one hour so I said that we would go shopping and return in 1 hour, but first Carroll wanted her teeth cleaned which the Hygienist did right away before we went shopping. We returned at 2:30 and I still had to wait about 10 Mins before I got into the chair.
They removed the temporary Crowns and install the new ones, less the adhesive and they felt great except for a slight edge on one so they polished it and it felt good so they permanently installed the new Crowns and so far I am very happy with the fit.
They then took the impression to make the Plate and I will return on Friday to get the Plate. The Dentist always want to be paid for some of the work they have done after each appointment so I gave them 400.00 : cash or cheque, no Visa. Cheers
Condoms don't guarantee safe sex: a friend of mine was wearing one when he got shot by a woman's husband.
The Nothing to Do Mode... dated 15 Mar 17
11 and 12 Mar
We are definitely in the "Do Nothing Mode" and everyone else that is still here is doing the same. Most conversation around here is "when are you leaving for home". Believe it or not most people drive directing from home to here as fast as then can and they do the return trip , the same way. I guess their mind set is to get out of " Winnipeg" in Nov as quick as possible and then to get back to "Winnipeg " as quickly as possible in March. I suggested that there must be something to see on the trip down but they are not interested. And they have been doing this for 20 years. What a interesting life ?????
Getting back to us; we are still glued to the TV watching the Brier on Sat and Sun , except for a break to have breakfast on Sunday with 4 couples before they head for home. Now that the Brier is over we have time to go shopping or visit the Pool for our nightly dip in the Hot Tub as there is always several people there to swap stories. That's how we spent the weekend. Cheers
Good friends are the Jewel of Life; Difficult to find and impossible to replace
We are definitely in the "Do Nothing Mode" and everyone else that is still here is doing the same. Most conversation around here is "when are you leaving for home". Believe it or not most people drive directing from home to here as fast as then can and they do the return trip , the same way. I guess their mind set is to get out of " Winnipeg" in Nov as quick as possible and then to get back to "Winnipeg " as quickly as possible in March. I suggested that there must be something to see on the trip down but they are not interested. And they have been doing this for 20 years. What a interesting life ?????
Getting back to us; we are still glued to the TV watching the Brier on Sat and Sun , except for a break to have breakfast on Sunday with 4 couples before they head for home. Now that the Brier is over we have time to go shopping or visit the Pool for our nightly dip in the Hot Tub as there is always several people there to swap stories. That's how we spent the weekend. Cheers
Good friends are the Jewel of Life; Difficult to find and impossible to replace
Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Mexican Run.... dated 14 Mar 17
9 Mar
We planned to do a run to MX for Carroll to get a pedicure and to pickup some last minute items like Honey, Cinnamon, things for the G/Kids etc. However, it looked a lot like rain " again " but we finally said let's go and maybe we will be lucky and miss the rain.
While Carroll was having a Pedicure and a hair cut , which would take an hour and a half I decided to visit the dentist and have my teeth cleaned. The dentist took a look at my teeth and said you need some work done now before it is too late, I said, do a cleaning and give me a estimate that my insurance company can understand. The cleaning cost 30.00 and he said I need 3 Crowns, 2 fillings ( albeit very small ) and a new upper plate as a result of the new Crowns. The cost of all that was 955.00 USD. Once I seen the cost was so reasonable, I said give me an appointment ASP so he said tomorrow ( Friday ) at 10 AM. The Plate was 385.00 so you can do the math on the cost of 3 crowns.
After I finished with the dentist, I went and rescued Carroll for the Salon. Our plan now was to quickly do our shopping as it was raining off and on and we had hope to clear customs and get to the parking lot, which is a 20 min walk, before it started to pour rain again. Carroll convinced me that was very important to stop at a shop so she could buy a necklace for Emily and Megan. Just as we were about to exit the store in started to pour " buckets " and with no sign as if it might stop. Luckily, this store also has a very nice restaurant so we decided that we may as well stop for lunch and by this time I was in need of a beer; so lunch it was. The lunch wasn't that good but by the time we finished, the rain had stopped so we quickly headed for the US border which requires crossing the bridge over the Rio Grande river; the famous river that divided the USA and MX. We made it to the car before the rain reappeared.
Incidentally, the US charges 50 cents to cross into MX and MX charges 25 cents to get back to the US. If you buy booze in MX , Texas charges 3.75 per litre. cheers
10 Mar
My dental appointment was for 10 AM and I was going to be fitted for 3 Crowns and since I knew that I would not feel like shopping afterward, hence Carroll did not accompany me. I arrived 5 min early and the reception said the Dr would be 5 min as he had someone ahead of me. After 20 min I ask the reception if she really meant 5 min. I said I could wait but don't tell me 5 min if you knew it would be 1/2 an hour. She must have talk to the Dr because I was in the chair in 5 mins. Waiting is not my strong suite.
I was being prepared for the Crowns only today which is not my most comfortable feeling but my mouth is 1/2 full of Root canals and Crowns so to coin a phase, " this is not my first Rodeo ". Finally the needles, the grinding and the impression where completed. The dentist does not do the Crowns in his office, as the impressions are sent to a "Jobber " which is the norm for all MX dentist. The dentist does the impressions, then he makes a phone call and a guy on a bike shows up and he takes the plastic bag to the Jobber. Hopefully, he doesn't drop them on the way.
This dentist ( actually his assistant ) made the temporary Crowns in their shop and to be frank, they were not a good fit but suffice for the weekend. Because of the new Crowns I will require a new upper plate which I have had for 20 plus years. But this will have to wait until the new Crowns are installed on Monday. Finally after a couple of hours I was "freed" from the Dental chair but my mouth was completely frozen as I had 2 Crowns on one side and one on the other. I always feel that the MX Dentist use more freezing than necessary but I have not been in a Dental office in Canada for 20 plus year so my memory could be fuzzy.
My next appointment is Monday at which time they will install the real Crowns and take impressions for the Plate. Cheers
No Husband has every been shot while doing the dishes
We planned to do a run to MX for Carroll to get a pedicure and to pickup some last minute items like Honey, Cinnamon, things for the G/Kids etc. However, it looked a lot like rain " again " but we finally said let's go and maybe we will be lucky and miss the rain.
While Carroll was having a Pedicure and a hair cut , which would take an hour and a half I decided to visit the dentist and have my teeth cleaned. The dentist took a look at my teeth and said you need some work done now before it is too late, I said, do a cleaning and give me a estimate that my insurance company can understand. The cleaning cost 30.00 and he said I need 3 Crowns, 2 fillings ( albeit very small ) and a new upper plate as a result of the new Crowns. The cost of all that was 955.00 USD. Once I seen the cost was so reasonable, I said give me an appointment ASP so he said tomorrow ( Friday ) at 10 AM. The Plate was 385.00 so you can do the math on the cost of 3 crowns.
After I finished with the dentist, I went and rescued Carroll for the Salon. Our plan now was to quickly do our shopping as it was raining off and on and we had hope to clear customs and get to the parking lot, which is a 20 min walk, before it started to pour rain again. Carroll convinced me that was very important to stop at a shop so she could buy a necklace for Emily and Megan. Just as we were about to exit the store in started to pour " buckets " and with no sign as if it might stop. Luckily, this store also has a very nice restaurant so we decided that we may as well stop for lunch and by this time I was in need of a beer; so lunch it was. The lunch wasn't that good but by the time we finished, the rain had stopped so we quickly headed for the US border which requires crossing the bridge over the Rio Grande river; the famous river that divided the USA and MX. We made it to the car before the rain reappeared.
Incidentally, the US charges 50 cents to cross into MX and MX charges 25 cents to get back to the US. If you buy booze in MX , Texas charges 3.75 per litre. cheers
10 Mar
My dental appointment was for 10 AM and I was going to be fitted for 3 Crowns and since I knew that I would not feel like shopping afterward, hence Carroll did not accompany me. I arrived 5 min early and the reception said the Dr would be 5 min as he had someone ahead of me. After 20 min I ask the reception if she really meant 5 min. I said I could wait but don't tell me 5 min if you knew it would be 1/2 an hour. She must have talk to the Dr because I was in the chair in 5 mins. Waiting is not my strong suite.
I was being prepared for the Crowns only today which is not my most comfortable feeling but my mouth is 1/2 full of Root canals and Crowns so to coin a phase, " this is not my first Rodeo ". Finally the needles, the grinding and the impression where completed. The dentist does not do the Crowns in his office, as the impressions are sent to a "Jobber " which is the norm for all MX dentist. The dentist does the impressions, then he makes a phone call and a guy on a bike shows up and he takes the plastic bag to the Jobber. Hopefully, he doesn't drop them on the way.
This dentist ( actually his assistant ) made the temporary Crowns in their shop and to be frank, they were not a good fit but suffice for the weekend. Because of the new Crowns I will require a new upper plate which I have had for 20 plus years. But this will have to wait until the new Crowns are installed on Monday. Finally after a couple of hours I was "freed" from the Dental chair but my mouth was completely frozen as I had 2 Crowns on one side and one on the other. I always feel that the MX Dentist use more freezing than necessary but I have not been in a Dental office in Canada for 20 plus year so my memory could be fuzzy.
My next appointment is Monday at which time they will install the real Crowns and take impressions for the Plate. Cheers
No Husband has every been shot while doing the dishes
Saturday, 11 March 2017
Medical Treatment in MX dated 11 Mar 17
6 Mar
Our friend Bya has a terrible cough which would not go away and to top it off she tripped on the steps to her RV and landed on her chest/shoulder. Her friend Terry ( and our friend from Med Hat ) was visiting with Bya and convince her to see her (Terry's ) doctor in MX. In MX you do not sit in a waiting room for hours much like Canada and the USA.
The doctor wanted Bya to have an x-ray but Bya had breast cancer years ago so an x-ray was not an option. After treating Bya with a shot and some Meds the doctor heard Terry coughing in the waiting room so she took Terry in and gave her a shot in the ( you know where ) and some Meds. Both ladies are feeling much better now. Their bill was 70.00 and for 70.00 you do tell the Insurance company,
So what did we do today,,,, the Brier, what else, and even when we go to the Hot tub in the evening, the talk is about curling as everyone is Canadian. Cheers
7 Mar
Happy Hour again. Our friends from ON have been here since early Nov and they have the urge to go home. So today they invited us and several other over for chili and snacks as they want to empty the fridge. They are leaving on Friday and it is 3/4 day trip home. They are over 80 so I call them old. Carroll and I where the only couple that are not "Blended", in fact one couple just met this year down here. Cheers
8 Mar
It did not rain on the 7 th but it sure as hell made up for it today. It started in the early morning and lasted until noon. It was accompanied by a driving wind which blew the rain right thru our carport and 12 feet up the covered deck. It is amazing that it does cause a flood although all weather record warn against Flash Flood.
We had to attend another Happy Hour because it would be selfish to say No. The host is a Winnipeg Policeman and the 2 other single guys in attendance are also retired cops so I kept my cops joke for another day. We finished the day off by watching the Brier and the Flames. Cheers
I'm frustrated with the stock market.... I swear I could but a Funeral home and people would quit dying.
Our friend Bya has a terrible cough which would not go away and to top it off she tripped on the steps to her RV and landed on her chest/shoulder. Her friend Terry ( and our friend from Med Hat ) was visiting with Bya and convince her to see her (Terry's ) doctor in MX. In MX you do not sit in a waiting room for hours much like Canada and the USA.
The doctor wanted Bya to have an x-ray but Bya had breast cancer years ago so an x-ray was not an option. After treating Bya with a shot and some Meds the doctor heard Terry coughing in the waiting room so she took Terry in and gave her a shot in the ( you know where ) and some Meds. Both ladies are feeling much better now. Their bill was 70.00 and for 70.00 you do tell the Insurance company,
So what did we do today,,,, the Brier, what else, and even when we go to the Hot tub in the evening, the talk is about curling as everyone is Canadian. Cheers
7 Mar
Happy Hour again. Our friends from ON have been here since early Nov and they have the urge to go home. So today they invited us and several other over for chili and snacks as they want to empty the fridge. They are leaving on Friday and it is 3/4 day trip home. They are over 80 so I call them old. Carroll and I where the only couple that are not "Blended", in fact one couple just met this year down here. Cheers
8 Mar
It did not rain on the 7 th but it sure as hell made up for it today. It started in the early morning and lasted until noon. It was accompanied by a driving wind which blew the rain right thru our carport and 12 feet up the covered deck. It is amazing that it does cause a flood although all weather record warn against Flash Flood.
We had to attend another Happy Hour because it would be selfish to say No. The host is a Winnipeg Policeman and the 2 other single guys in attendance are also retired cops so I kept my cops joke for another day. We finished the day off by watching the Brier and the Flames. Cheers
I'm frustrated with the stock market.... I swear I could but a Funeral home and people would quit dying.
Wednesday, 8 March 2017
Monsoon Season... March 2017
4 March
Apparently we are paying for the warm sunny weather that started in Nov and has been wonderful until now. The Monsoon has started. On Sat morning the rain started at 2 AM ( so Carroll said ) and it poured "buckets" most of the day until 10 PM.
I moved my car to the parking area so our friends ( Larry and Holly ) could park in our car port as we invited them for supper and they would have been drowned "Rats " if they had to walk in the rain. They are leaving for their home in Brandon, MB tomorrow as they sold their home here and the people who purchased their Park Model wanted it now.
The Brier started today so we will be glue to the TV and the rain made it easier to stay home. Cheers
5 March
Today our park ( Pine to Palm RV Resort ) held an Open House hoping that visitors from other parks in this area would purchase one of the 40 Park Models that are for sale in our Park.
First the people were given a short sermon on what a wonderful park that this is and of the benefits of buying here as the owners run the park as opposed to most parks that are own by a Corporation and managed according where the owners do not get much say in it operation.
As an example this park has decided to replace the "Shuffle " courts and to add 2 Pickle Ball outdoor courts. Other parks managed by the corporation would normally just patch their Shuffle courts as they deteriorate which means that they can not hold tournaments, just league play.
Since it is Sunday we went for breakfast with our friends Bya and Roy and 2 other couples whom we met at a Happy Hour. One couple are ( single/widowed ) so they live together here in the winter but live separate lives during the summer. The lady lives in Didsbury, AB and the man lives in Lac de Bonnet , MB. This type of arrangement is a very common in these parks. It 's not hard to pick our these folks because during most conversation the phase " Her children : My children " is a common thread.
Our friend from Medicine Hat, Terry is sick with a bad cough so Carroll is going to take our left over chicken supper over to her tomorrow. Also that will give us chance to see how sick she is and if she should go to a doctor. Oh Yea: the Brier is on . isn't it. cheers
It's better to walk alone ; than to walk with a crowd going the wrong way.
Apparently we are paying for the warm sunny weather that started in Nov and has been wonderful until now. The Monsoon has started. On Sat morning the rain started at 2 AM ( so Carroll said ) and it poured "buckets" most of the day until 10 PM.
I moved my car to the parking area so our friends ( Larry and Holly ) could park in our car port as we invited them for supper and they would have been drowned "Rats " if they had to walk in the rain. They are leaving for their home in Brandon, MB tomorrow as they sold their home here and the people who purchased their Park Model wanted it now.
The Brier started today so we will be glue to the TV and the rain made it easier to stay home. Cheers
5 March
Today our park ( Pine to Palm RV Resort ) held an Open House hoping that visitors from other parks in this area would purchase one of the 40 Park Models that are for sale in our Park.
First the people were given a short sermon on what a wonderful park that this is and of the benefits of buying here as the owners run the park as opposed to most parks that are own by a Corporation and managed according where the owners do not get much say in it operation.
As an example this park has decided to replace the "Shuffle " courts and to add 2 Pickle Ball outdoor courts. Other parks managed by the corporation would normally just patch their Shuffle courts as they deteriorate which means that they can not hold tournaments, just league play.
Since it is Sunday we went for breakfast with our friends Bya and Roy and 2 other couples whom we met at a Happy Hour. One couple are ( single/widowed ) so they live together here in the winter but live separate lives during the summer. The lady lives in Didsbury, AB and the man lives in Lac de Bonnet , MB. This type of arrangement is a very common in these parks. It 's not hard to pick our these folks because during most conversation the phase " Her children : My children " is a common thread.
Our friend from Medicine Hat, Terry is sick with a bad cough so Carroll is going to take our left over chicken supper over to her tomorrow. Also that will give us chance to see how sick she is and if she should go to a doctor. Oh Yea: the Brier is on . isn't it. cheers
It's better to walk alone ; than to walk with a crowd going the wrong way.
Sunday, 5 March 2017
March...ing On: March 17
2 March
We know there is a cold ( cool ) front coming and it will bring some rain. The temp this morrow was 17 C but warned up 25 C by 10 AM. Anytime a front comes in , it brings with it some high winds which has already arrived and will likely stay for a few days.
Tonight we took in another music concert and it was the Tenors. This was 3 men with great Tenor voices and they put on great show. However, the first 15 minutes was like the Opera (singing in Italian) and I thought , do I have to sit through 2 hours of this crap. But as it turns out they wanted to display their real talent and after that the sang all the other song in our language and it was fabulous. It was well worth the 14.00.Cheers
3 March
Again the temp was 17 C when I got up and it was overcast so we knew the rain was coming. In fact our park was scheduled to host the final year end " Shuffle " Tournament on Saturday but it moved up to Friday because the Weatherman said that we would be getting a storm early Saturday morning. We will see???
Our friends ( Holly and Larry ) along with 5 friends from another park called Magic Valley ( Nic Named Tragic Valley ) decided to go the Legion in Mercedes , about 10 KM away. The Legion has a Fish Dinner every Friday night for 8.00. They serve 4 fillets of fish which is way too much food but the cost is great. The Legions in TX only serve beer, wine, pop and water. However, you are allow ( in fact encouraged ) to bring Hard Liquor and they will supply the plastic glasses and the ice.
The place is packed to the rafters and I would say that it probably exceeds the Fire limit and to coin a phase it is a " Fireman's Special". If there was ever a fire I can visualize all these seniors with canes, wheel chairs and walkers trying to get through 2 personal doors.
Unfortunately , as a treat, they have a Karaoke DJ just to raise the Decibels volume slightly above that of a Chainsaw. We first visited the Legion 10 years ago and a few times since, and they have the same DJ and he is signing the same songs. If I hear the Yellow rose of Texas one more time I think I'll scream.
Cheers.
If you can't be an Athlete ; at least be an Athletic Supporter
Here Comes March ??? 1 Mar 17
I guess I can say "Here comes March " and in Weslaco, TX; March doesn't come in like a Lion or a Lamb because it it 95 F ( 33 C ) today with a slight breeze.
We dropped in to visit our friends ( Bya and Roy ) at another park to confirm our timings for Sunday breakfast. The were have a drink with other friends and once we were introduce we realized that we actually had met in this park 3 years ago and in fact went to a "Hawaiian" party together. So much for our memory.
After that couple left another couple dropped in. That's what happens in these parks... if you are outside having a drink someone is going to drop in. Happy Hours are like a magnet! Cheers
Where did Feb Go!!!!!! 28 Feb 17
Man oh Man, two month has flew by and we have 30 days left before we head home. Today were where invited to a Happy Hour at our friends , Larry and Holly's place. They are leaving for home on the 5 th of March and as I mentioned earlier , they sold their home in here in TX. They have invited several friends from another park including a couple that we knew from Shilo, so it was nice to see them again. I recall that I had hired their son as an Apprentice Electrician in 1977 so I ask how he was doing and they said that he retired several years ago which made me realize how old I am.
We are going to miss Larry and Holly as we did travel around with them and met at least twice a week for a beer or card game or a trip to see a Show. Now we have to visit them in Brandon. Cheers
Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side of the fence because it is fertilized with B. S.
We are going to miss Larry and Holly as we did travel around with them and met at least twice a week for a beer or card game or a trip to see a Show. Now we have to visit them in Brandon. Cheers
Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side of the fence because it is fertilized with B. S.
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