Monthly Archives: August 2023

Aug25

Why do you blog?

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Why do you blog?

Why do you blog? This was one of the writing prompts on WordPress this week. I decided to give it some thought.

I was living in Guadalajara when I started blogging on WordPress. Two of my housemates, Sean and Omar, were computer geeks and helped me get set up. Both of them were working remotely while living in Mexico for a while.

Before I started my blog, I used to send out mass emails to friends I’d left behind in Winnipeg. But now that I was living and teaching in Mexico, I found myself keeping in touch with others I’d taught with or lived with over the years. It’s true that a one-liner on Facebook got the word out and was easier than writing emails, but I could write in more detail in a blog.

I also used to include a lot of photos in my blog posts. I do a fair amount of traveling and there are always new museums, art galleries and parks to explore wherever I go. I made a lot of new friends and we often went on adventures together. But that changed when Covid arrived.

My blog posts became more introspective when I sought asylum in Mexico in March of 2020 when my FMM expired. I had given up my work visa when I retired back in 2016 so I was now counting my 180 days again. When I finally made it to Leavenworth at the end of September, I had a lot more freedom and fewer restrictions. Life was a lot more normal than it had been in Mexico. I was able to be vaccinated and was able to obtain medication I required that had not been available in Mexico.

My 180 in the USA was almost up in March of 2021. Do I go to Canada and pay $2000 for a two night hotel stay in isolation and then have nowhere to live once I got out? Do I go back to Mexico and take my chances in a third world country during a pandemic? Thank you to the CDC for coming to the rescue and issuing a level 4 travel advisory against travel to Canada. I retained an attorney and successfully sought asylum in the USA.

It’s now 2023 and I’m pretty much back on track with winters in Mexico and the other six months in the USA and Canada. But my blog posts are very different than the ones I wrote when I initially began the blog on WordPress. One featured photo and more writing. I write about life rather than travel. I occasionally write about family. I still tend to shy away from politics and religion.

I can’t remember the last time I sent out a mass email. Instead I encourage people to read my blog. I have followers around the globe and am grateful for all your support. I’m not the least bit interested in making money from this blog although I know several people who do just that.

I blog because I enjoy writing. I blog to give others some insight into my nomadic lifestyle. I blog in the hope that what I write may impact someone else’s life. I blog for me and I blog for you.

Aug22

Oh No! They’re Gone!

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Oh No! They’re Gone!

In my last post I mentioned how the view of the mountains relaxes me and makes me feel at home. Well that was very short-lived. The smoke has rolled in and it’s time to get out the n95s again. The air is thick with smoke and the hills and mountains are now memories.

We went on a shopping marathon for a couple of hours today. Costco, Safeway and Happy Crop. Yes the groceries came first. But it was interesting to see who was at the pot shop today. No young people at all. Just us old people looking for comfort from the aches and pains as we age.

I’m looking forward to Tai Chi tomorrow. I really missed those classes when I was away in Canada. None of my friends up there are into that, although a couple are into walking. Right now it’s way too smoky out there to walk outside so I appreciated the walk through Costco today.

I dropped down a level in Duolingo. I just couldn’t find that half hour a day while I was away. It was more like only 5 to 10 minutes. But I’m back in there now and am determined to make it back up into the diamond league again this week.

There was an interesting article in my CNN newsfeed today about how airports have evolved into shopping malls with the advent of numerous restaurants and stores vying for space. Dallas got the award for the longest walk of just over two and a half miles to the gate. Of course security screening takes up an abundance of space as well. With the limited food options available on flights there is a demand for more restaurants. Air Canada…are you listening? I’m tired of your bottled water and juice when what I really crave is coffee. Starbucks is always a must when I’m in any airport.

I wonder if there are any deserts left in California today. Hurricane Hilary literally drenched the air and left quite a muddy mess. Floods and landslides are predicted for Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The weather is definitely getting nasty on both the Pacific and the Atlantic sides. And then the rest of North America is a smoky mess due to all the wildfires.

What will I be dodging when I head back to Mexico in October? Hmmmmmm…………..

You have outdone yourself with this limerick today, Alexa. Corniest one ever.

I once met a ninja who sings

When in through a window he swings

He picks air guitar

With his throwing star

But a concert is not what he brings.

Hope you’re having a marvelous Monday!

Aug19

Home Sweet Home

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Home Sweet Home

The last few days in Winnipeg were a blur of visiting with Jacque, Audrey, Donna and David. As a bonus I got to see my son one last time as I unexpectedly had to drop by his office to pick up something. My passport was ready on time and a visit to the The Leaf was most enjoyable.

But these 15 hour travel days are getting to me. It’s time my kids started coming to see me instead. Although my flights by some miracle had no noticeable delays, it is exhausting when your day begins at 4 a.m. with a drive to the airport. Every American airport I’ve gone through has a train or a bus to get you from domestic to international. Vancouver does not making the connection times almost impossible. Of course the Canadian airlines don’t care because they overbook the flights anyways.

But I’m back home in East Wenatchee and am more than happy. Once I catch sight of those magnificent mountains I can feel my blood pressure drop significantly. I’ve been back less than 24 hours and have been sleeping most of the time. And I’m quite content to remain at home doing nothing this weekend.

Enjoy your weekend!

Aug16

Winnipeg Week 2

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Winnipeg Week 2

The days are flying. It’s been great seeing my friends again. I got together with Sheila for coffee, milkshakes with Della and dinner with Audrey. Rita and I got together with Natasha for dinner one night, And it’s been interesting seeing how the city has changed. It has grown. New subdivisions. New roads. But what hasn’t changed is all the construction. Driving is a challenge with all the zippered lanes and detours.

There is also an air quality alert due to all the smoke blowing in from the rest of Canada. And I thought I’d left all of that behind me in Washington.

On the weekend it was off to Brandon to see my daughter compete at the Powerlift Regionals. Watching her dead lift 147.5 kg totally blew me away. I used to see my daughter in bowling tournaments or perform in musicals and dance recitals when she was younger. This was very different. This weekend was also the first time in eight years I’ve been with both of my kids together. And an added bonus was having my granddaughter there too. I really can’t find the words to express how special the time we spent together was. It was an amazing weekend and I will treasure the memories in my heart.

Back to Winnipeg on Monday where I moved from Rita’s in St. Vital to Jacquie’s in Tuxedo. Audrey and I went out for dinner tonight and tomorrow I move to Donna’s in Westwood. The plan is to pick up my new passport Thursday afternoon and to fly out to Sea-Tac on Monday. So this may or may not be my last post from Winnipeg for a while.

Aug10

Whirlwind Wednesday

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Whirlwind Wednesday

When I get back to East Wenatchee, I’m going to need a vacay to unwind from this one. Can’t wait for my next Tai Chi class! Really miss you Jim and all my friends.

Anyone who knows me well is never surprised at the stuff I write about on my blog. I’ve had a lot of crazy experiences and I’m sure there are more to come. But this visit to Winnipeg has a unique twist to it aside from the passport and being together with my kids and my friends. I’ll save the details for later on in this post. Instead I’ll work backwards from evening to morning on Wednesday.

After dinner, Rita, Doug and I binged on Gunsmoke. When I got back this year they were already at season seventeen. In Washington, I often watch Gunsmoke on ME-TV. I haven’t yet found it in Spanish when I’m in Mexico. But I do enjoy watching westerns and other older TV shows. Reminds me of a much simpler time in my life before all the complications and curve balls.

I got together with my computer guru in the afternoon. Della (previously Laura) is an amazing lady who could probably build a computer with her knowledge. I first met her when we both found ourselves back at University of Manitoba getting our ESL certification. At the time she was very pregnant with her second child and it was incredible that she held off going into labor before our final exams. Needless to say, even when I’m in Mexico she’s helped me with computer glitches. Last summer when I was in Winnipeg shopping for a new computer, she had already got it narrowed down to a couple of choices. We were in and out of Best Buy in about a half hour and then she set everything up for me. Della has also become a writer, another thing we have in common, and she’s helping me out with that as well. Self-publishing with iUniverse has gotten quite costly so Della has now recommended a free program to download that will enable me to publish at no cost on Amazon.

Earlier in the afternoon I got together with Sheila, a friend for almost sixty years. We first met back in middle school when we were both at River Heights Junior High. We found ourselves at different high schools and then I was off to college and got married. We lost touch there for a few years. When we reconnected she had three kids and was married as well. When we get together we reminisce over old times and then catch up on what’s currently going on in our lives. It’s interesting that we now talk about not only our children but our grandchildren as well.

So here’s the unique twist to this visit to Winnipeg. Wednesday morning I reconnected with my brother after twenty-seven years of estrangement. I had no idea what to expect. I’ll be honest. If I’d have seen him on the street I never would have recognized him. It was great to see him but here it is a day later and I’m still feeling overwhelmed. A lot has gone on in our lives over the years. It was interesting to hear about his kids and grandkids. And that he is now a retired judge. And he also brought me up to date with cousins I’ve lost touch with over the years. And I told him all about my family and my nomadic lifestyle. We’ve exchanged phone numbers as well as email addresses so we can keep in touch.

That’s all for today. Contemplation time.

Aug8

Winnipeg Week One

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Winnipeg Week One

In my previous post I had mentioned that my passport renewal was my priority. Once that process had begun it was time to relax and enjoy time with friends.

I enjoyed a beautiful morning at a wading pool with Rita and her kids and grandkids. I sure wish they’d have had places like this when my kids were little. A large slide, water guns and sprayers. For safety reasons they limit the number of people allowed in at one time. Lots of picnic tables and benches in the shade as well.

I had lunch with my son and his girlfriend and then it was off to his place to sort through some bins he has been storing for me. So far the family photo albums are still intact although he is threatening to dispose of those too. Other treasures I’d saved for my kids are apparently of no interest to them, such as outfits my mom had crocheted for them when I brought them home from the hospital after they were born. Really heartbreaking for me to part with these. But I can’t exactly drag them around three countries every year. Too cumbersome and too costly. So that was a stressful afternoon.

Sunday afternoon was cemetery visiting. Lise took me to Shaarey Zedek to see my parents. That’s one of the traditions we have when I come back to visit. Lise also goes there to visit even when I’m not here. Next we drove out to Fannystelle where her husband and her parents are buried. Lots of memories of another lifetime. When I lived in Oak Bluff I spent a lot of time on Highway 2 going out to Fannystelle. Koal was my constant companion back then and I can still picture him happily sitting in the front seat. He loved to go for car rides.

I had a video call with my granddaughter on Sunday. She told me about her adventures at the park and showed off somersaults. Madeline was playing with her leggo and showing me her bookshelf and other toys. We had quite the conversation. But the best is yet to come. I actually get to see her this coming weekend when we all go to Brandon to watch my daughter compete in regionals.

Yesterday afternoon we watched President Biden’s press conference with the Houston Astros. Rita’s son is the Director of Sport Medicine and Performance for the team and was right there in that room in The White House. Very exciting!

Yesterday Audrey and I got together for a long and leisurely dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. We caught up on our lives and our kids lives. We’ve known each other since my daughter and her son were in elementary school together. We’ve gone through divorces, illnesses and other life events over the decades.

And yes, I did get to Tim Horton’s for an ice cap and a boston cream donut. However Starbucks has you beat and the donut was not nearly as wonderful as I remember. But Tim’s is another tradition when I come back here.

And now on to week two.

Aug2

Mission Accomplished

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Mission Accomplished

This is the year to renew my passport. I could have done it anywhere in Canada but I decided to go back to Winnipeg. And that brings me to the primary priority purpose of Winnipeg two years in a row. I will actually be with both of my kids together at the same time for the first time in eight years. A bonus is that my granddaughter will also be here.

This morning I went down to Service Canada with forms and photos and travel information. Yes I had to prove that I required a passport ASAP to get it processed quickly. Of course they also asked WHY I was travelling in addition to viewing the booked flight. Not bad. I get to pick up the new passport on the day before I leave after 12 noon. My flight leaves the following morning at 6 am. Thank God I won’t have this hassle again for another ten years!

Rita and I went to VJ’s to celebrate after. For those of you who don’t know, this is a tired old hamburger stand that’s been around forever and is always a must on any visit here. True comfort food following stress. Best gut bombs (chili burgers) ever. Haven’t found anything like this anywhere else I’ve travelled in Canada, USA or Mexico.

The weather here is hot but a little cooler than Washington. Nice to hide inside now after running around in the heat all day.

Okay, Winnipeggers, now that the passport is out of the way I’m looking forward to spending time with my friends. You know who you are and I’ve messaged you my American phone number so you’ll know I’m not a telemarketer or a scammer when it shows up on your call display. Looking forward to seeing everyone!