Tag Archives: travel

Dec13

Friday The 13th and Other Superstitions

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Friday The 13th and Other Superstitions

This post isn’t about any Friday the 13th movie. Instead I want to delve into the world of superstition and the idea that bad things happen on Friday the 13th.

I must admit I’ve been rather tentative when it comes to Friday the 13th. I vividly recall Friday February 13th, 1976. Three minutes short of the halfway point from Winnipeg to Denver en route to San Diego, Frontier Airlines turned us back to Winnipeg due to engine trouble. Obviously I missed the connecting flight in Denver.

Then there was Friday November 13th, 2015 in Mazatlan when the ATM thought it would be fun to eat my debit card. Needless to say I don’t use BBVA Bancomer anymore.

All other Friday the 13ths have been proven to be uneventful although today is far from over.

But why the big deal about Friday the 13th? Here’s a few tidbits I gleaned from history.

I’ll begin with a Christian root. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. He was also the 13th guest at The Last Supper.

Next we turn to Norse mythology. Twelve gods were invited to a banquet. A thirteenth god named Loki (the trickster god) crashed the banquet. This resulted in fighting and death.

We then go to France where King Philip IV decreed that all Knights Templar in his kingdom were to be arrested. These people were viewed as heretics as they denied Christ and worshipped idols. Many were executed and the Church disbanded the group.

Now let’s look at some other superstitions and what some people do to avoid bad things from happening.

Break a mirror lately? That could mean seven years of bad luck.

Don’t walk under a ladder or something bad is sure to happen.

Watch out for that black cat, especially on Friday the 13th.

Throw a pinch of salt over your left shoulder to keep evil at bay.

Remember this one from childhood? Step on a crack and you break your mother’s back.

How about looking for four-leaf clovers for luck? Or carrying around that lucky rabbit’s foot? Walk into any Casino or Bingo game and look around at all the lucky charms people have.

And let’s not forget knocking on wood.

How superstitious are you?

Nov15

Hola de Aguascalientes

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Hola de Aguascalientes

Three flights and a bus trip. Every time I vow that it’s too exhausting I somehow do it again. And a big thank you to Alaska Airlines for bumping me up to First Class on number three. You’re my favorite airline.

Day four and I’m finally unpacked. I did it gradually this year instead of in a one day marathon. I didn’t have the energy or the inclination to do it any faster. I was also alternating trips to the corner tienda to stock my fridge and pick up other miscellaneous items.

The tienguis on Thursday was larger than the one when I left last spring. I think everyone is gearing up for Christmas here just like they’re doing up north. Of course the temperature was 84 degrees instead of the 44 when I left Wenatchee. The dreary rain has been replaced by brilliant sunshine.

Two new items in my room this year. Raul built me a desk. It’s much more comfortable than sitting in bed with my laptop. He also bought me a new microwave. I’m busy reading the manual in an attempt to improve my Spanish. That is huge. Those of you who know me are aware that I never read manuals.

I also started doing Duolingo again. After several months away, I need all the practice I can get, especially when it comes to grammar.

I watched a movie in Spanish this morning. My goal is to watch at least three a week. I don’t watch TV in English while I’m here and I don’t use subtitles when I watch movies in Spanish.

The two hour time difference was most welcome as it gave me a chance to get some badly needed sleep when I arrived. Of course it also means that I have to remember who is on which time zone now when I call my friends. Sorry about those 5 am texts some of you received the other day. It will get better.

I haven’t activated my Mexican number yet as I’ve decided to keep my American one. It’s a pain every spring when I return to Washington and have to get a new number. And I will get that Mexican chip going soon. It just isn’t a priority. There are people to see and places to go and that come first.

On Monday we have a holiday here – Revolution Day. And it’s also Buen Fin, the Mexican equivalent of Black Friday. The fun goes all weekend.

Speaking of weekends, have a good one!

Oct21

Flights Booked

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Flights Booked

I can’t remember the last time I wrote a blog post, but it’s been quite a while. It seems like when I have the time to sit down and write I lack the inspiration. It’s late afternoon and I glance out at the sky and see the rain clouds rolling in. But today was such a beautiful fall day. The temperature almost reached 70 and it was quite sunny most of the day. Here it is, mid-October, and I enjoyed eating my eggs benedict out on the patio of a restaurant. We actually had the umbrella open to provide some shade.

The leaves have begun to change color and I’ve taken only a handful of photos. I’ve taken hundreds over the years and they’re all stored on my external hard drives. Fall is my favorite season of the year, especially here in Washington state.

But fall is also a procrastination time for me. It means I have to book flights back to Mexico. It’s hard to leave friends and familiar places. But then again, I’m headed home to Aguascalientes to other friends and familiar places. If only travel weren’t so tedious and complicated.

I fly out of Pangborn here in Wenatchee with connecting flights at Sea-Tac and LAX before arriving in Guadalajara. Then it’s a taxi from the airport to the bus station and a short bus ride until I arrive home. Less than 24 hours of travel including layovers. At least this year I don’t have the usual overnight at LAX and I arrive in Aguascalientes in daylight rather than at night.

Speaking of daylight, now comes all the time changes. Clocks roll back here in Washington but Aguascalientes doesn’t do the spring forward fall back thing. I think Winnipeg still does. I wonder who will be on which time zone other than mine when I return to Aguascalientes. That will wreak havoc with my long distance calls until I sort it out.

This upcoming week will be a busy one for a change. Activities range from volunteer work to a memorial service, and include travel to Leavenworth and Cashmere. Routine in no way describes my life. In fact, I thrive on spontaneity and change.

One other upcoming activity will be packing, an arduous task. I’ve accumulated way too many clothes in my closet, most of which will not accompany me to Mexico. A fifty pound limit goes fast with the weight of all the toiletries I bring with me, the majority of which are not available in Mexico. But I have my nifty, new Baggalini laptop bag which will replace my usual backpack. I used this bag on my trips to Canada this summer and was very pleased with the versatility.

I still have three weeks left until I leave. My calendar is filling up quickly, but I will try to post more often.

Oct4

Oh No! It’s October!

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Oh No! It’s October!

October is here. The temperature is cooler and the days are shorter. The leaves are just beginning to turn from green to glorious shades of red and orange. I admit it. Fall is my favorite season.

September flew by in a blur. Here are some highlights. I volunteered at the Chelan County Fair where I checked in baking and preserves. I also volunteered at the 9/11 service in Cashmere. And I volunteered at the Essentials Bank at a church in Cashmere. I also attended the Autumn Leaf Festival parade in Leavenworth and went to writing group in Wenatchee. I ventured out on the Apple Loop Trail in East Wenatchee. And of course I enjoyed spending time with my friends who I will miss dearly when I head back south for the winter.

October is going to be a busy month. It is already. Yesterday was writers group. Today was book club. This weekend so far has a craft fair at my church, a book fair at Pybus Market, a book sale in Cashmere and we’re also going to see the movie White Bird.

Activities for the next few weeks are already beginning to fill my calendar. One thing that I always procrastinate doing is booking a flight back to Mexico. It will be more of a challenge this year as the marathons I used to run through airports on my own two feet will now be done in a wheelchair instead. While the sciatica has eased up considerably, walking long distances is still not an option, especially when I need to go from terminal to terminal in a short period of time if I am to make the connecting flights.

I’ve decided to stay here until after the November election. I’m hoping that the snow will not arrive before then. But if it does, I still have the Columbia ski jacket and the Sorrel boots I bought when I was stranded here over the winter during Covid. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the beautiful weather and the colorful leaves on the trees.

Aug11

Already August

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Already August

It’s been a very different summer. I’ve been to Canada twice; once for 2 months and once for 2 days. Mindfulness is my mantra, especially last weekend when I was with my six-year-old granddaughter.

I spent two magical days in West Kelowna last weekend. I played board games and read books with Madeline. She showed me her treasures from her Sparks trades. We watched a movie together. I watched her swim and jump into the water off platforms at the beach. She delighted in taking tons of pics with my phone. And I miss her constant chatter, her hugs and smiles and am sad that I only get to see her once a year.

This weekend is much quieter. I’m back in East Wenatchee. I’ve been writing and working on my WIP. Today we went to a movie and out for coffee after. And now I’m back to writing again. Tomorrow night I’m looking forward to a concert by Gladsong. Then the weekend will end and Monday will be here, beginning another week.

The only constant this summer has been the hot weather. But it’s cooling off. The high today was only 94.

At this point in the summer I’m usually thinking about flights to Mexico. But not this year. Because I spent so much time in Canada, I’ll be here in Washington when the leaves turn all their glorious fall colors. And that’s something I haven’t seen since before Covid.

As I sit here looking out my window at the hills, I reflect on how blessed I am to lead the life I do, both here and in Aguascalientes. I have friends who have become family, opening their hearts and their homes to me. Times spent with these people are the true treasures in my life.

Collect moments not things.

Jun29

Seventeen Hours

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Seventeen Hours

That’s how long it took me to get from Winnipeg to East Wenatchee last week. Commute to Winnipeg airport, go through TSA, go through Customs, flight to Minneapolis, layover, flight to Seattle, shuttle to Wenatchee, commute to East Wenatchee. Needless to say I slept almost twenty-four hours once I arrived back home.

It’s great to be back. I’ve missed my friends. I’ve missed the mountains. I’ve missed the sunshine.

What I don’t miss is barricading myself in a tiny room and staring at a computer screen as I scanned thousands of photos. I used to jokingly tell my friends that all I left behind in Winnipeg was my son and bins of photo albums. I can now honestly say that all I’ve left behind is my son. The photos are all digitalized. My childhood photos I gave to my brother. The rest of the photos and framed photos are history.

This was a tedious task and it was also emotionally draining. It took twice as long as I thought it would. I’m glad it’s done. Why didn’t we have cellphones with cameras decades ago? This generation has it easy.

I’ll miss my friends in Winnipeg, St. Norbert and Oak Bluff. We had some great times together while I was visiting. We enjoyed stimulating conversations, shared meals, watched movies and did some traveling. I’ll miss you Donna, Loris, Rita, Doug, Audrey, Sheila, Laura, Jacque, Marilyn, Kathy and David. I also enjoyed spending time with my brother.

The moments I treasure most are those with my son, Kyle. I was truly blessed to be with him both on Mother’s Day and on my birthday in May. That hasn’t happened in several years. He also took the time out of his busy schedule to set up a meeting with his attorney so that I could deal with some legal issues. I’m so very proud of Kyle and all of his accomplishments throughout the years. He has come a long way from the photos I scanned of him as a baby and as a child. But it gets harder and harder to say goodbye when it’s time for me to leave again. It’s painful when a mother and her child are separated for such long periods of time.

And now it’s back to life in Washington. Tomorrow I will be volunteering at Founders Day in Cashmere.

Enjoy the weekend!

Jun17

Monday Morning Musing

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Monday Morning Musing

I kept four thousand of the photos I scanned. I’ll wait until I’m back in Mexico over the winter to organize them better. There are way too many files that need to be put in a better order. But they’ll do for the time being.

If you’re on Facebook, you’ll have seen some of the photos I’ve put up of two institutions that are absolute musts when I return to Winnipeg. VJ’s for gut bombs and BDI for ice cream. I’m not a fan of Jeannie’s cakes so I’ve passed on that one.

Another place I visit when I come back is the Shaarey Zedek Cemetery. This is where my amazing friends come in. “Karen, what do you want to do today?” My reply is “Please take me to the cemetery.” Strange request? Not really. They know me. And every time I go back to the cemetery I wonder if it’s the last time I’ll get there.

I moved out of the rental and am staying with Rita for a few days. Time to veg before I start up with airports and flights. I felt my blood pressure drop ten points when I got here and cuddled with Cooper and Leo. Cooper is a fifty pound dog who thinks he’s a lap dog. Leo is a cat who also likes to cuddle and purrs happily.

The weather has sort of turned around. We went one almost whole day without any rain. Yours truly slept through a really wicked storm the other night. I can’t believe all the rain Winnipeg has had. More than six weeks of rain at some point every single day!

Duo, I hope you aren’t too sad although the emails indicate otherwise. I really do need to get back into Spanish on Duolingo. I am doing some texting to friends but I need to start talking and working on my grammar again.

My WIP has also been neglected, other than some minor editing. Those photos took up a lot more time than I had expected. I’ve been here almost seven weeks and am looking forward to returning to Washington soon. Just a few more loose ends to tie up.

Four students plan to arrive late to their final exam so they can take it the next day

By the time they arrive the exam is almost over, so they head over to the professor to ask if they can take it the next day. They tell him they tried their best to come on time, but their tire blew out and it took too long to replace it.

The professor tells them, “Don’t worry about it. You can take it today and, since there’s almost no time left, you only have to answer one question. If you get it right, I’ll give you an A on the test.” The students, thinking this is even better than they thought, excitedly take their seats and look at the question:

Which tire blew out?

Have a great Monday!

Jun1

A Glimpse of the Light

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A Glimpse of the Light

I’m beginning to see a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel. After scanning photos for a month, I’m actually getting close to the end. Of course there are two bins still at my son’s and I haven’t a clue as to what’s in them. But I believe the majority of the bigger albums are almost done.

This morning I was at Kyle’s first day of kindergarten, Kimmy’s first haircut, Kyle’s fifth birthday party at the bowling alley and a vacation in San Diego. I’m not doing the albums in any type of chronological order so it’s been fun to skip around and see my kids at different ages.

And of course there are the pet albums. Kelsey and Koal had no idea that they were dogs. They were kids just like Kyle and Kimmy. Kelsey was around for a few years before Kyle was born. My kids had labelled him the geriatric dog. After he went to doggy heaven we got Koal. And he was quite a mischievous puppy and very different from Kelsey.

I really miss having a dog. But it’s bad enough that I have to deal with three different immigrations every year. I cannot fathom having to do that with a dog when constantly travelling from country to country. But if I ever do settle down, I would love to have a dog again.

In a way it’s been good that the weather has been so bad since I got to Winnipeg. When it rains every day I don’t feel so badly about holing up inside and going through photos. But I must admit that I miss that big, bright yellow ball that should be up in the sky instead of the ominous clouds.

And I’m still hoping for an ETA in Washington of mid-June.

May11

On To Plan B

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On To Plan B

When Plan A doesn’t work there’s always a Plan B. Plan A was working. I arrived in Winnipeg last Thursday and Laura came with me to buy a scanner on Friday. On Monday she came over and set it up and gave me a crash course in how to use it. But Plan A was already off-track as I hadn’t connected with my son and he’s been storing the photo albums. So this week has gone by and I haven’t had any photos to scan yet.

Plan B in action and I am taking the week to see friends instead. And as I visit with my friends I’m going through different chapters in my life.

Rita. We met at an auction back in 2000. We’ve gone through divorces and our kids’ marriages and a whole lot more. Before Rita sold her cabin at Hillside, I always went out there with her when I came back to Winnipeg in the summer, even after the knee surgeries. It was fun maneuvering my walker and much easier when I graduated to a cane. There were steps involved in getting up on the deck and into the cabin. This year Rita picked me up at the airport and we went straight to VJ’s for gut bombs. It was pouring rain but that didn’t stop us.

Laura. My computer guru. We met in college when I was getting my ESL certification back in 2009. She was very pregnant and her baby arrived late so she was able to write the final exams and graduate. Although I moved away in 2010 we’ve kept in touch and get together whenever I come back. She shops around for computers and whatever other technological devices I require. Then when I get to Winnipeg we get together and I buy what she has picked out. They must love us at Best Buy. Whenever the sales person asks a question I refer them to Laura. I only need to be there to tap the credit card.

Sheila. We met back in middle school and have been friends for sixty years. Yep. We’ve gone through a lot together. When we get together it’s like we’ve never been apart as we catch up on kids and grandkids. Sheila doesn’t enjoy traveling and admitted to me that she hasn’t been on a plane in nine years. That’s very different from my nomadic lifestyle. I’ve been on four planes in just the last month.

Jacque. Our kids were in the same pre-school program when we met back in 1983. Jacque was also a caterer and has shared several wonderful recipes with me, the most requested one being the peanut butter cheesecake. Our kids all went to different schools throughout the years but Jacque and I remained in touch. She moved back home to Rochester, Minnesota for a while but returned to Winnipeg a few years ago. I was already well into my nomadic lifestyle but we always get together when I come back for a visit.

Donna. In another lifetime I taught water aerobics at the YMCA in Westwood and Donna was in my class. We also share a love of music and have gone to concerts together. Donna’s husband makes amazing wine which I always enjoy when I go over there. When I was here last summer we spent a memorable afternoon at The Leaf. We were talking at lunch the other day about maybe going to the Museum of Human Rights this year.

Marilyn. After my knee surgery I went to physio at Concordia where I met Marilyn. This awesome physical therapist is one of the reasons I bounced back as quickly as I did from those surgeries. She’s retired now and travels to New Zealand to see her daughter quite often. Over lunch today we talked a lot about Mexico and she’s thinking of coming this winter.

On Sunday I will finally get to see my son and I hope I will get those photo albums so I can start scanning. It will be nice to be with my son on Mother’s Day. We haven’t done that in several years.

Today is May 10 and it’s Mother’s Day in Mexico. It’s been a while since I’ve been in that country for Mother’s Day too.

To all the mothers out there, whether you celebrate today or on Sunday, Happy Mother’s Day!

Apr30

Challengers and Bluegrass

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Challengers and Bluegrass

It was a busy weekend. I should have been thinking about doing laundry and packing but there were too many other distractions. I decided to take advantage of those instead.

We went to see the movie “Challengers.” Although I’m not a huge tennis fan, I was drawn in by the twists and turns in this movie. It was well done and delivered more than one strong message. I highly recommend that you go and see it.

The Bluegrass concert in Cashmere was most enjoyable. Thunder Ridge is a band from Portland. But Saturday night they were more of a hodge-podge of musicians as a couple of the regulars weren’t able to make it. However they put on an amazing performance although they had only rehearsed for a short time earlier in the day.

Do you remember the movie “The Graduate?” Back in the 60s we all thought it was pretty awesome. But it’s 2024 now and when I watched it the other night on TV, I had a very different opinion. Boring and predictable. Lame acting. Corny. Hmmm. Do we even use the word “corny” today? My age is showing.

We’ve had rain and it’s been cold. And the weather doesn’t look too promising in Canada either. Wonder if I need to pack my Columbia ski jacket and my Sorels. But it’s May. It isn’t supposed to be winter. Maybe I’ll throw in some warmer clothes just in case. Days like this I really miss Mexico.

On that note it’s time to get out the packing cubes. My next post will be coming to you from Canada.

Have a great week!