November 20 to 26, 2008 ; La Feria, Texas
Thursday ; Today was sunny, hot, and humid. I spent the morning installing new hub covers on two trailer wheels. I had to jack up the trailer, remove the wheel, install the new hub cover, reinstall the wheel, lower the trailer off the jack, then repeat the process for another wheel. I discovered that all the trailer wheels' lug nuts are worn and need to be replaced. That's 24 lug nuts that I'm going to have to remove and replace ( sigh ). And I discovered a break in a metal brace in the trailer's exterior steps assembly. I'm either going to have to have it welded, or I'll have to replace the steps assembly. I washed the roof and hood of the truck, to remove the muddy cat paw prints on the roof and hood. Apparently some cat with muddy paws couldn't walk around the truck during the night, he had to go over it ! ! ! We took Bo for a long walk and chatted with a neighbour, who gave us some cheese from St. Albert's Cheese in St. Albert, Ontario, near Ottawa. St. Albert's is their favourite cheese, and they always buy a large quantity of it when they visit their daughter who lives in Ottawa.
We had lunch, then I napped. I put that in for the benefit of Barry, a former employee of ours. I received an e-mail from Barry asking for my new blog address. He's lost track of how often I nap. HA HA HA ! I finished waxing the trailer. Joanne is afraid to go to the top of the ladder, so she leaves the highest sections of the trailer for me to wax. I removed an exterior light fixture from the trailer, and on Saturday will install a new one that I bought.
At sunset we went to the pool and hot tub. I barbecued supper while we watched Survivor. Well, we watched part of Survivor. For 15 minutes during the show we were both outside looking for Teddy. He walked out the door on one of my trips outside to tend to the barbecue. He was gone for about 10 minutes before I noticed he was missing. He stealthily sneaks out the door about once every two years or so. And it's very frightening ( to us, not him ) when he does !
Friday ; Today was cloudy, cold, and windy. We had planned to spend today down in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, but decided first thing this morning that it was too cold to go today. The weather made us feel lazy, so we stayed in bed for most of the morning.
This afternoon we went to Mercedes for some grocery shopping at H-E-B. The H-E-B in Harlingen is better, but there are two panaderias ( Mexican bakeries ) across the street from the Mercedes store. We bought some pan dulce ( Mexican pastries ) at one a week ago, and today we tried the other. They're both very good. Mind you, I haven't yet found a panaderia I didn't like. HA HA HA ! Back at Kenwood RV Resort, I installed three new light fixtures I bought a few days ago. They are battery operated LED lights. I installed them to use when we're boondocking, to conserve the main "house" battery in the trailer. Gil and Maria spent the afternoon at Kenwood's weekly music "jam session" in the clubhouse, then went to the local legion for a Friday fish dinner.
We went to the pool and hot tub before supper. BRRRRR ... it was cold walking back to the trailer. After supper I got online and ... took a look at what's happened in the stock market this week. When is this going to end ? ! ? !
Saturday ; Today was cloudy, warm, and humid. This morning I installed a new exterior light fixture on the trailer. And fretted about our investments ! And worried about finding employment next summer !
This afternoon I worked on the electromagnetic brake wiring, fussing, tidying up, redoing Camco Wheel & Axle's workmanship to my anal retentive standards. That was all the "home improvement" work I was going to do today, but with encouragement from Joanne, I also installed the Extreme Vent on the kitchen grey water holding tank's plumbing vent on the roof. We took Bo for a long walk. Late in the afternoon we took a guacamole break with Gil and Maria. Maria made the guacamole. ( whispering very quietly ) Joanne's is better.
We went to the pool and hot tub a little earlier than we usually do, before heading for Edinburg. Edinburg is about ¾ of an hour northwest of here. Gil and Maria went to church, having forgotten that we had planned a trip to Edinburg tonight to see the Rio Roundup Rodeo at Sheriff’s Posse Arena. The Rio Roundup Rodeo is advertised as taking place every Saturday evening at 7:00 P.M.. Except when they don’t feel like having it, I guess. And apparently tonight was one of those nights ! What a waste of an hour and a half worth of fuel !
Sunday ; Today started out cloudy, warm and humid, becoming sunny, hot, and humid.
I spent most of the day installing a new water pump. It was a very difficult job, although I had expected it to be even worse than it was. I had been contemplating buying and installing a better water pump for about 2 years, and finally got serious about it just before we left Keremeos seven weeks ago. The factory installed water pump in the trailer was constant flow, essentially on or off. To conserve water when we're boondocking, I wanted a variable flow pump, providing "home like" infinitely variable water pressure and flow. The "variable speed demand" RV water pumps are very expensive, but I finally bought one at Camping World last week. I've kept the old water pump as a spare. Having a spare water pump while travelling in Mexico is recommended, as RV parts and service businesses are pretty much non-existent in Mexico.
We went to the pool to cool down after a long hard day of work before going to Sunday ice cream social, a regular weekly event that has just resumed for the winter season here at Kenwood RV Resort. We chatted for awhile with neighbours, then rushed home to watch Amazing Race. After supper I reconciled our monthly MasterCard statements. Ooooo ... what an expensive month !
Monday ; Nuevo Progreso, Mexico
Today was sunny and hot. This morning we went with Gil and Maria to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, about 15 or 20 minutes southwest of La Feria. This is only the second place in Mexico that Gil and Maria have been to. They've also been to Los Algodones, near Yuma, Arizona. We wandered around Nuevo Progreso for about 4 or 5 hours, browsing and sightseeing. We bought Creminos ( chocolate hazelnut mints ), Nugs, Coconugs, and Nugs Crujientes ( chocolate bars ). We checked out the currency exchange businesses. The one bank in Nuevo Progreso had a better exchange rate than the 3 or 4 private money exchange businesses called cambios. We will also check out the exchange rates at a couple of the banks here on the U.S. side, but last year the exchange rate was better in Mexico than in the U.S.. Gil withdrew 5000 pesos from an ATM using his bank card, to see what exchange rate he would get from his Canadian bank. We got comparison pricing on pet medications at 3 or 4 veterinary pharmacies. I got some dental work prices my sister had asked me to get for her. We took a rest break in a bar, ordering piña coladas, a margarita, and cerveza. We walked to the school where the Amigos de Los Niños de Mexico Fiesta de Navidad ( Friends of the Children of Mexico Christmas party ) will take place on Christmas morning. We found a church. Maria wanted to visit a Mexican church. We had lunch at a roadside taco stand. Six beef and avocado tacos for U.S.$3.50. I had told Maria about the great fish tacos we had in the Baja last year, and she was eager for fish tacos. But none of the taco stands in Nuevo Progreso had fish tacos. I guess we're not close enough to the Gulf of Mexico for fish to be readily available. Either that, or the Texas influence makes beef the preferred choice. Maria struggled with Spanish words and phrases I was trying to teach her. I hope she can at least remember the word for bathroom, which she had difficulty with today.
The border crossing from Mexico back into the United States is now guarded by soldiers in sandbag bunkers with machine guns perched on top. Seems a bit dramatic for a border crossing where the only people crossing are senior citizen gringos with trinkets and booze. I attempted to take a picture, but a soldier waggled his finger at me. So ... I stood off to the side by a store and used the zoom function on my camera. HA ... take that ! Joanne chastised me for once again indulging in activity that runs the risk of getting me shot in a foreign country. HA HA HA !
Back at Kenwood RV Resort we had some of Joanne's freshly made ( yesterday ) plum pie with frozen plums we picked back home at Riverside RV Park Resort. We spent time in the swimming pool before supper, a daily ritual. Gil checked his bank account online to determine how much his 5000 peso withdrawal cost in Canadian dollars. The Mexican peso to Canadian dollar exchange rate the bank applied was good.
Tuesday ; Today was cloudy and mild. This morning I downloaded and processed yesterday's photos from Nuevo Progreso. I mounted a small wall calendar I picked up at a dentist's office, so I can learn the months of the year in Spanish. I prepared huevos rancheros for lunch. Fried eggs on warmed tortillas, covered with salsa and queso ( melted, seasoned cheese, like on nachos ). Well done, Daniel !
After lunch Joanne went with Gil and Maria in their Westie to Ropas Usadas ( Used Clothing ) in Mercedes. I went to a local bank to check on their peso to dollar exchange rate, then met Joanne, Gil, and Maria at Ropas Usadas. From there we drove in both vehicles to the meeting of Amigos de los Niños de Mexico in Weslaco. We took both vehicles anticipating having to transport lots of toys from the meeting to the organization's storage unit in a local storage business. After the meeting, we loaded up toys and some school supplies and took them to the storage unit.
While my truck was parked at R & R Storage, Gil scraped the side of his Westie along the rear dually hip and bumper of Lanoire, damaging the hip and bumper of my truck, and the side cargo door of his Westie. In the interests of not destroying a friendship, suffice for me to say that I'm not pleased, and leave it at that ! ! !
On the way back to La Feria we stopped at H-E-B in Mercedes to buy some groceries, and stock up on pan dulce at the panaderia across the street. Back at Kenwood RV Resort we gave Bo a bath and went to the pool and hot tub before having a late supper.
Wednesday ; Today was sunny and hot. This morning I cleaned the damaged areas of the truck with acetone, to remove as much of the Westie's white paint as possible. The corner of the bumper and the rear of the dually hip are scratched and scuffed. Tomorrow I will use a polishing compound to try to buff out as much of the scuffing as I can. On the weekend I will spray paint the corner of the bumper and the rear of the hip. Wish me luck with that ! In the interests of friendship, and given that Lanoire is now 3½ years old, I'm trying to avoid having such minor damage repaired professionally.
We spent the afternoon running errands ( sigh ). First stop was the Post Office to post some mail and pick up my Mexican vehicle insurance policy sent to General Delivery. Then the WesDon flea market to buy some hardware and the farmer's market to buy fruits and vegetables. Next stop was Ron Hoover RV to pick up Gil's special order and my special order. Gil's had arrived, mine had not ( sigh ). Next was Camco Wheel & Axle to buy 24 new lug nuts for the trailer. Then ... the joy of my day ... Wal-Martin'. On to Pep Boys to buy spray paint for the truck. Then Auto Zone to buy a gallon of Lucas diesel additive, and select the torque wrench I want for Christmas. Last stop was El Centro Foods to refill our 5 gallon water jug. By the time we got home it was too late, and we were too tired, to go to the pool and hot tub before supper.
EEEEEUUUUUWWWWW ! ! ! While loving up Teddy, Joanne found a lump on his tummy. A close examination showed it to be ... wait for it ... the end of some kind of a worm, embedded in his flesh. While Joanne held Teddy upside down, I grabbed the end of the worm and pulled. EEEEEUUUUUWWWWW ! ! ! Only about ¼ of it was sticking out, the rest was in his flesh. It left a big hole in his abdomen. I'm not certain, but I think that type of worm is called a chigger. When Teddy "escaped" last week he was outside for only about 25 minutes. He certainly is poorly equipped for outdoor survival !
I cooked catfish for supper. The cooking of fish or egg dishes is my responsibility, because I'm better at fish and eggs than Joanne is. We trimmed Bo's dew claws. We administered flea prevention treatments to Teddy and Bo, and heartworm prevention medication to Bo. Joanne did laundry. I ate Nugs and Coconugs. HA HA HA HA HA !
DSK
Thursday ; Today was sunny, hot, and humid. I spent the morning installing new hub covers on two trailer wheels. I had to jack up the trailer, remove the wheel, install the new hub cover, reinstall the wheel, lower the trailer off the jack, then repeat the process for another wheel. I discovered that all the trailer wheels' lug nuts are worn and need to be replaced. That's 24 lug nuts that I'm going to have to remove and replace ( sigh ). And I discovered a break in a metal brace in the trailer's exterior steps assembly. I'm either going to have to have it welded, or I'll have to replace the steps assembly. I washed the roof and hood of the truck, to remove the muddy cat paw prints on the roof and hood. Apparently some cat with muddy paws couldn't walk around the truck during the night, he had to go over it ! ! ! We took Bo for a long walk and chatted with a neighbour, who gave us some cheese from St. Albert's Cheese in St. Albert, Ontario, near Ottawa. St. Albert's is their favourite cheese, and they always buy a large quantity of it when they visit their daughter who lives in Ottawa.
We had lunch, then I napped. I put that in for the benefit of Barry, a former employee of ours. I received an e-mail from Barry asking for my new blog address. He's lost track of how often I nap. HA HA HA ! I finished waxing the trailer. Joanne is afraid to go to the top of the ladder, so she leaves the highest sections of the trailer for me to wax. I removed an exterior light fixture from the trailer, and on Saturday will install a new one that I bought.
At sunset we went to the pool and hot tub. I barbecued supper while we watched Survivor. Well, we watched part of Survivor. For 15 minutes during the show we were both outside looking for Teddy. He walked out the door on one of my trips outside to tend to the barbecue. He was gone for about 10 minutes before I noticed he was missing. He stealthily sneaks out the door about once every two years or so. And it's very frightening ( to us, not him ) when he does !
Friday ; Today was cloudy, cold, and windy. We had planned to spend today down in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, but decided first thing this morning that it was too cold to go today. The weather made us feel lazy, so we stayed in bed for most of the morning.
This afternoon we went to Mercedes for some grocery shopping at H-E-B. The H-E-B in Harlingen is better, but there are two panaderias ( Mexican bakeries ) across the street from the Mercedes store. We bought some pan dulce ( Mexican pastries ) at one a week ago, and today we tried the other. They're both very good. Mind you, I haven't yet found a panaderia I didn't like. HA HA HA ! Back at Kenwood RV Resort, I installed three new light fixtures I bought a few days ago. They are battery operated LED lights. I installed them to use when we're boondocking, to conserve the main "house" battery in the trailer. Gil and Maria spent the afternoon at Kenwood's weekly music "jam session" in the clubhouse, then went to the local legion for a Friday fish dinner.
We went to the pool and hot tub before supper. BRRRRR ... it was cold walking back to the trailer. After supper I got online and ... took a look at what's happened in the stock market this week. When is this going to end ? ! ? !
Saturday ; Today was cloudy, warm, and humid. This morning I installed a new exterior light fixture on the trailer. And fretted about our investments ! And worried about finding employment next summer !
This afternoon I worked on the electromagnetic brake wiring, fussing, tidying up, redoing Camco Wheel & Axle's workmanship to my anal retentive standards. That was all the "home improvement" work I was going to do today, but with encouragement from Joanne, I also installed the Extreme Vent on the kitchen grey water holding tank's plumbing vent on the roof. We took Bo for a long walk. Late in the afternoon we took a guacamole break with Gil and Maria. Maria made the guacamole. ( whispering very quietly ) Joanne's is better.
We went to the pool and hot tub a little earlier than we usually do, before heading for Edinburg. Edinburg is about ¾ of an hour northwest of here. Gil and Maria went to church, having forgotten that we had planned a trip to Edinburg tonight to see the Rio Roundup Rodeo at Sheriff’s Posse Arena. The Rio Roundup Rodeo is advertised as taking place every Saturday evening at 7:00 P.M.. Except when they don’t feel like having it, I guess. And apparently tonight was one of those nights ! What a waste of an hour and a half worth of fuel !
Sunday ; Today started out cloudy, warm and humid, becoming sunny, hot, and humid.
I spent most of the day installing a new water pump. It was a very difficult job, although I had expected it to be even worse than it was. I had been contemplating buying and installing a better water pump for about 2 years, and finally got serious about it just before we left Keremeos seven weeks ago. The factory installed water pump in the trailer was constant flow, essentially on or off. To conserve water when we're boondocking, I wanted a variable flow pump, providing "home like" infinitely variable water pressure and flow. The "variable speed demand" RV water pumps are very expensive, but I finally bought one at Camping World last week. I've kept the old water pump as a spare. Having a spare water pump while travelling in Mexico is recommended, as RV parts and service businesses are pretty much non-existent in Mexico.
We went to the pool to cool down after a long hard day of work before going to Sunday ice cream social, a regular weekly event that has just resumed for the winter season here at Kenwood RV Resort. We chatted for awhile with neighbours, then rushed home to watch Amazing Race. After supper I reconciled our monthly MasterCard statements. Ooooo ... what an expensive month !
Monday ; Nuevo Progreso, Mexico
Today was sunny and hot. This morning we went with Gil and Maria to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, about 15 or 20 minutes southwest of La Feria. This is only the second place in Mexico that Gil and Maria have been to. They've also been to Los Algodones, near Yuma, Arizona. We wandered around Nuevo Progreso for about 4 or 5 hours, browsing and sightseeing. We bought Creminos ( chocolate hazelnut mints ), Nugs, Coconugs, and Nugs Crujientes ( chocolate bars ). We checked out the currency exchange businesses. The one bank in Nuevo Progreso had a better exchange rate than the 3 or 4 private money exchange businesses called cambios. We will also check out the exchange rates at a couple of the banks here on the U.S. side, but last year the exchange rate was better in Mexico than in the U.S.. Gil withdrew 5000 pesos from an ATM using his bank card, to see what exchange rate he would get from his Canadian bank. We got comparison pricing on pet medications at 3 or 4 veterinary pharmacies. I got some dental work prices my sister had asked me to get for her. We took a rest break in a bar, ordering piña coladas, a margarita, and cerveza. We walked to the school where the Amigos de Los Niños de Mexico Fiesta de Navidad ( Friends of the Children of Mexico Christmas party ) will take place on Christmas morning. We found a church. Maria wanted to visit a Mexican church. We had lunch at a roadside taco stand. Six beef and avocado tacos for U.S.$3.50. I had told Maria about the great fish tacos we had in the Baja last year, and she was eager for fish tacos. But none of the taco stands in Nuevo Progreso had fish tacos. I guess we're not close enough to the Gulf of Mexico for fish to be readily available. Either that, or the Texas influence makes beef the preferred choice. Maria struggled with Spanish words and phrases I was trying to teach her. I hope she can at least remember the word for bathroom, which she had difficulty with today.
The border crossing from Mexico back into the United States is now guarded by soldiers in sandbag bunkers with machine guns perched on top. Seems a bit dramatic for a border crossing where the only people crossing are senior citizen gringos with trinkets and booze. I attempted to take a picture, but a soldier waggled his finger at me. So ... I stood off to the side by a store and used the zoom function on my camera. HA ... take that ! Joanne chastised me for once again indulging in activity that runs the risk of getting me shot in a foreign country. HA HA HA !
Back at Kenwood RV Resort we had some of Joanne's freshly made ( yesterday ) plum pie with frozen plums we picked back home at Riverside RV Park Resort. We spent time in the swimming pool before supper, a daily ritual. Gil checked his bank account online to determine how much his 5000 peso withdrawal cost in Canadian dollars. The Mexican peso to Canadian dollar exchange rate the bank applied was good.
Tuesday ; Today was cloudy and mild. This morning I downloaded and processed yesterday's photos from Nuevo Progreso. I mounted a small wall calendar I picked up at a dentist's office, so I can learn the months of the year in Spanish. I prepared huevos rancheros for lunch. Fried eggs on warmed tortillas, covered with salsa and queso ( melted, seasoned cheese, like on nachos ). Well done, Daniel !
After lunch Joanne went with Gil and Maria in their Westie to Ropas Usadas ( Used Clothing ) in Mercedes. I went to a local bank to check on their peso to dollar exchange rate, then met Joanne, Gil, and Maria at Ropas Usadas. From there we drove in both vehicles to the meeting of Amigos de los Niños de Mexico in Weslaco. We took both vehicles anticipating having to transport lots of toys from the meeting to the organization's storage unit in a local storage business. After the meeting, we loaded up toys and some school supplies and took them to the storage unit.
While my truck was parked at R & R Storage, Gil scraped the side of his Westie along the rear dually hip and bumper of Lanoire, damaging the hip and bumper of my truck, and the side cargo door of his Westie. In the interests of not destroying a friendship, suffice for me to say that I'm not pleased, and leave it at that ! ! !
On the way back to La Feria we stopped at H-E-B in Mercedes to buy some groceries, and stock up on pan dulce at the panaderia across the street. Back at Kenwood RV Resort we gave Bo a bath and went to the pool and hot tub before having a late supper.
Wednesday ; Today was sunny and hot. This morning I cleaned the damaged areas of the truck with acetone, to remove as much of the Westie's white paint as possible. The corner of the bumper and the rear of the dually hip are scratched and scuffed. Tomorrow I will use a polishing compound to try to buff out as much of the scuffing as I can. On the weekend I will spray paint the corner of the bumper and the rear of the hip. Wish me luck with that ! In the interests of friendship, and given that Lanoire is now 3½ years old, I'm trying to avoid having such minor damage repaired professionally.
We spent the afternoon running errands ( sigh ). First stop was the Post Office to post some mail and pick up my Mexican vehicle insurance policy sent to General Delivery. Then the WesDon flea market to buy some hardware and the farmer's market to buy fruits and vegetables. Next stop was Ron Hoover RV to pick up Gil's special order and my special order. Gil's had arrived, mine had not ( sigh ). Next was Camco Wheel & Axle to buy 24 new lug nuts for the trailer. Then ... the joy of my day ... Wal-Martin'. On to Pep Boys to buy spray paint for the truck. Then Auto Zone to buy a gallon of Lucas diesel additive, and select the torque wrench I want for Christmas. Last stop was El Centro Foods to refill our 5 gallon water jug. By the time we got home it was too late, and we were too tired, to go to the pool and hot tub before supper.
EEEEEUUUUUWWWWW ! ! ! While loving up Teddy, Joanne found a lump on his tummy. A close examination showed it to be ... wait for it ... the end of some kind of a worm, embedded in his flesh. While Joanne held Teddy upside down, I grabbed the end of the worm and pulled. EEEEEUUUUUWWWWW ! ! ! Only about ¼ of it was sticking out, the rest was in his flesh. It left a big hole in his abdomen. I'm not certain, but I think that type of worm is called a chigger. When Teddy "escaped" last week he was outside for only about 25 minutes. He certainly is poorly equipped for outdoor survival !
I cooked catfish for supper. The cooking of fish or egg dishes is my responsibility, because I'm better at fish and eggs than Joanne is. We trimmed Bo's dew claws. We administered flea prevention treatments to Teddy and Bo, and heartworm prevention medication to Bo. Joanne did laundry. I ate Nugs and Coconugs. HA HA HA HA HA !
DSK
No comments:
Post a Comment