The best time for me is when I get to do the Best of the BLT where I plagiarize from myself...call it my personal time capsule. For you tree huggers, call it recycling myself. I call it place dropping.The best time for me is when I get to do the Best of the BLT where I plagiarize from myself...call it my personal time capsule. For you tree huggers, call it recycling myself. I call it place dropping.
Several years ago, a former colleague mentioned he'd gone to Phoenix to see spring league Major League Baseball. It piqued my curiosity. I mentioned this to Mr. Ed. He was in but COVID and a player strike and adult related activities put a damper on it until this season. Call it my belated sixtieth birthday bash! Other colleagues expressed interest but bailed. I drove up the day of the game, Sunday. We could have seen about any club in and around Phoenix but figured that I-10 being under perpetual construction would make the Cubbies a better choice that than the KC Royals which would cut at least an hour out of my drive. On this trip, I didn't encounter any road construction.
The trip started with breakfast at IHOP and grocery pickup at Wally's. There was rain in the forecast from Nogales to Phoenix. Mother Nature held up her end of the forecast with cold and wet. As I was leaving Tucson, the indicator light on the dashboard told me I had a low tire. A visual inspection yielded nothing dramatic so I had a nagging doubt follow me for the rest of the trip.
Mr. Ed flew in the day before I arrived. Hotel prices were at a premium for the spring baseball games held at many venues around Phoenix. Available baseball vacation packages were offered over the PA system. I spoke to a woman who annually made her annual pilgrimage to Phoenix to watch the Cubbies. Thought the sister and bro-in-law might be interested in going.
I know little of the Phoenix geography. I had no idea the spot where I met Mr. Ed for lunch would be in the shadow of the stadium where Ed and I went in September to watch the Chiefs take down the Cards. The same stadium where a few weeks before, the Chiefs won the Super Bowl.
The baseball venue was a few miles away but the roads leading to the stadium were not designed to accommodate the traffic to get in. The folks at Stadium security and I had a basic disagreement about whether my Leatherman multi-tool is a weapon or a tool. The difference between a weapon and a tool is intent. I had no pre-intentions of stabbing anyone though I'm sure someone could have pissed me off creating something spontaneous. It hasn't happened in sixty years but it could! They couldn't determine my intent so rules are rules and I lost that argument. Between traffic and our argument, we missed the first inning and a half of the next. The Cubs scored three runs which we missed. It was cool and windy but the sun was out. We were in the shadows of the upper seating area so we didn't get burnt. Those in the sun had a warmer/better seat. I had a nice jacket which was comfortable.
Like most professional sports, be it on TV or in person, I more or less absorbed the game...it got into my system. We left in the eighth inning. Final score: Dodgers 9 Cubs 4.
Made more stops in Tucson for dinner at a Japanese restaurant and finished off my grocery shopping at Wally's before heading back to Mexico. (I get the non-refrigerated items bought first, do my thing, and go back to get the stuff that would be damaged in the hot car before heading back.)
Been longing for a trip to Vegas ever since I arrived here four years ago. I'm so close, I can taste Vegas. It's around 525 miles. COVID placed a big part in my procrastination. The company announced a four-day Easter holiday. It was now or never. Checked the hotel rates which were reasonable. Found shows I could live with...not a big fan of any of them (Terry Fator ventriloquist from America's Got Talent never seen but enjoyed my last ventriloquist show, Sting, Maroon 5) but I went open minded. Daytime distractions: indoor skydiving, Segway tour, and firing of machine guns. I drove (a first) wanting to see the desert and flying isn't as convenient/economical as it would seem in the short distance from Tucson to Vegas.
Well, that was the plan anyway. As John Lennon sang, "life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." Except for my regular phone charger, which I thought I left at the apartment (I choke on even calling my Nogales Mexico apartment home), it started out to plan anyway. Later I discovered I had a spare in my bag and I could plug my toys into the power outlets in my hotel room. That was the bright spot but I'm getting ahead of myself.
I stopped for breakfast and drove to Tucson stopping for gas and restroom. My company car has an automatic transmission but at the stop light, the car slowed to coasting with the grinding making it sound like a stick shift. Momentum was all I had. I made it to my temporary destination. Long story short, my problem grew from a simple linkage to transmission failure. I called Ford thinking the car might be under their 100,000-mile warranties. No such luck. Adding to my difficulties was that I was in a semi-cellular void and I had no digital credits left on my pay as I go TracFone. Several calls and information exchanges later, a tow truck took my car to the local Ford dealer and I took a taxi to the airport to find a rental. The thought of cutting my losses and heading back to Mexico was a strong consideration but I trudged on.
On the bright side, I count my blessings that I was stranded at a convenience store inside the Tucson city limits rather than on an interstate or highway out in the middle of nowhere. The car was safely parked at the dealer so my company had the problem now. About four in the afternoon, eight hours after arriving in Tucson, I was rocking down the highway leaving Tucson heading to Vegas in a rental SUV with just under 3,000 miles on the odometer. I called the hotel so they knew I was still coming but I'd be late.
I drove through Phoenix to Flagstaff and Kingman to Las Vegas. There are more direct routes but mine was interstate/divided highway all the way. You can drive Phoenix to Kingman direct but it's two-lane jammed with tourists and not much fun to drive (525 miles vs. 479). The interstate was scenic but rolling canyon roads infested with potholes made driving difficult even with the interstate. I never gave it much thought but Flagstaff is over 7,000 feet and there was snow. Never associated Arizona with anything but hot desert. I made it to Vegas about one in the morning, unpacked, and walked Fremont Street at 0300. I missed Terry Fator but I was in Vegas and the perpetual Fremont Street freak show was ongoing.
I've done Segway tours in San Antonio, Athens, Berlin (same link as Athens) and now, Vegas. You get an informative tour avoiding walking on a cool/fun ride...at least I think so. Not wanting to repeat a previous trip to Vegas involving a UTV, I brought my own bike helmet. One of their most notable stops was the site of the TV series Pawn Shop All Stars. I've watched almost none of that show but couldn't resist a Facebook/BLT photo opportunity. I'd have really gotten into the rock and roll/sports artifacts. There wasn't much of a line to get into the shop. The Segway guide said the shop characters seen on TV had made a fortune and moved away from Vegas coming back for the series. I headed back for lunch and to watch the whales breach (watch the swim pool action and drink beer).
Sting played his own songs and the ones he wrote for the Police. There was one song I didn't recognize nor do I believe I have in it in my music collection. One scary thought is that I forgot I had my Leatherman on me when I walked through the hall metal detectors yet they didn't detect it. As previously noted, the folks at the baseball game and I had a difference of opinion. I feared the concert folks would either take the Leatherman or make me find some sort of a locker. Worst case, I'd go back to my hotel and drop it off and return to the venue but that didn't happen! Worries me that they didn't try or didn't want to detect my Leatherman.
The next day, the fun really started with indoor skydiving. While most folks say age is just a number, my mantra is that my age doesn't reflect what I view (WWE, monster trucks, drag racing, NFL...to name a few) or what I do. I'll only admit that I'm no spring chicken and I'll try anything that looks like fun. This fit. I called it stupid fun. I never had an athletic bone in my body. My mind was thinking I was too old for it and I was scared. I was completely out of my league. I wanted to ask for a refund and find something safe to do but my ego wouldn't let me back out. There were two "jumps". Frankly, I looked like a cow on ice. The instructor earned his pay and I left him twenty pesos as a tip so he wouldn't forget me. That's slightly over a dollar. Cheap @#$%^A&&!!!
Here s the link to the video. You can see and download the photos and videos if you like. I don't know the couple that appears with me. The instructor is Andy.
Andy had done both indoor and outdoor skydiving. He said the only difference between indoor and outdoor skydiving is if you screw up on outdoor diving...Skydiving was a hanging chad on my bucket list. Google it!
Next stop was lunch and then to the rifle range to shoot automatic rifles and pistols.
I first saw advertising for automatic rifle firing on my last trip to Vegas. It was instantly moved to the top of the bucket list. While shooting, I could feel the powder from the person shooting next to me. Those rounds go quick. The instructor, Samuel, said all of my shots hit the target and were generally in the kill range. I tipped Samuel fifty pesos...again so he'd remember me. Cheap @#$%^A&&!!!
Sam gave no indication that he spoke any language but English yet he'd given visual instructions to some folks who didn't speak English...I can relate.
I have minimal gun experience having gone hunting as a youth. We took trap shooting as part of hunter safety in eighth grade shop class. I went hunting with a friend. All of the guns in the list above had a laser pointer which I have never used. I always used the optical site. Samuel instructed me to ignore the optical site. My shots tended to be low so I pointed the guns higher to compensate. As children, we tried to impress our peers with our gun knowledge. I don't own a gun nor have I ever owned one. My father never had one but my friend had rifles in his family. When conversations about guns came up, I kept my words to the general side, or better yet, kept my mouth shut. Travelling with firearms, legally, is outside my knowledge-set. Like skydiving, it was another stupid fun thing that I have out of my system.
No, I'm not the only driver of this car but it had never given me problems prior to this occurrence. The company had my car serviced the day before I left Mexico. I didn't know what was done to the car but this was suspect. I had three mechanics look at the car. Sam's day job was working in a transmission shop. I described the symptoms and he diagnosed the patient. The transmission is an automatic CVT (continuously variable transmission). Except for Toyota and Honda, nobody seems to have mastered long term health for this beast so I took the prior days' service off the suspected cause. (Spoiler alert: The Tucson Ford dealer wanted $5k for a repair estimate...repair would be extra. We towed the car to Mexico for a $1,500 repair including towing.)
My first day in Vegas was Good Friday (read meatless for this retired altar boy) and I'm still counting carbs. It wasn't easy finding something appealing and still met Catholic/carb guidelines. Salads were/are a go to. Jesus died at 3pm so that ended Lent for all Catholics and me too. Overall, I was very successful in maintaining my diet. FYI, I'm still holding at 215 pounds (98kg)...75 pounds (34kg) below my COVID 20 high of 290 pounds (132kg).
I stayed at my new usual, Downtown Grand Hotel. I last stayed there about five years ago. They added another tower. Despite the size, it's not the hustle bustle of the strip and I don't feel like a number. I do spend more time and pay more money for taxis.
The crowds seemed to return to Vegas after a shutdown from COVID. The taxi drivers I spoke to noted that part of the returning crowd was due to the Easter holiday. I was in the minority wearing a mask. Yes, I STILL wore a mask! A friend visited Vegas about a year ago saying it had not recovered from COVID with a trashy appearance. To me, it looked the same as my previous visits with no evidence to confirm his observation.
No, I'm not one to wager in Las Vegas. I didn't buy a chip or feed a slot on this trip. I can send a check to my broker and gamble on the stock market in denominations much higher than I'd wager at the casinos. If I put a twenty dollar bill in a machine, I can't wait until I can cash out. I get a rash. If I do play the machines, I generally play the penny/nickel slots usually winning but not enough to buy a cup of coffee.
This was my first solo trip to Vegas. I checked with a few friends but Easter is a holiday most folks spend with family.
I do Vegas for the food and the fun. San Antonio returned with dining at Dick's Last Resort and Saltgrass Steakhouse. Was dying for prime rib but the prime rib serving times were early dinner times and that conflicted with taxi times to the shows.
While on my trip, I maintained contact with the office making sure I wasn't forgotten and had a ride back to Mexico. My ride had a late Sunday flight so I stretched out my return costing me another rental car day. My favorite Japanese restaurant was closed so I saw about 75% of a movie. Hard to believe that I found myself asking for the senior discount but I asked and it was given. Killing time anywhere beats hanging out at an airport even though it did cost me a day's rent. Riding back to Mexico instead of driving was a first since I first came to Mexico in 2019.
Can't remember the last time I didn't stop at Wally World on my way back to Mexico. Probably better as I'm hoping to reduce my food stocks.
She said it was my turn to travel...
Bought last minute tickets so they weren't cheap but the flight schedule was acceptable: Tucson, Atlanta, Paris, and Tunis. Hotel and rental car came last. Confirmed with the boss my time off so the last-minute vacation request didn't come as a surprise. I had errands to run before I flew so I had to fly on any day but Sunday. I made the errands and hit the airport with plenty of time to spare. No major complaints or travel snafus but the flight from Atlanta to Paris had me sitting in the middle seat on the most uncomfortable chair possible. Eight hours in the most uncomfortable position is torture.
Except for Tucson, the folks at the airport security took a second, third, and fourth look at my CPAP but I passed without incident. Apparently, the Tucson folks are accustomed to seeing them.
When I landed in Paris, the brain was in Spanish mode. I couldn't find the explanation but it's not the first time it's happened.
Gone is the Tunisian country entry form. I filled one out for my last visit. The immigration agent simply asked where I was staying.
My last trip to Tunis was 2019. I didn't think about it then but when I was working there in 2001-2002, we couldn't buy cell phone sim cards at any cost. We had to borrow them from the Embassy. The Embassy didn't have many SIM cards to spare either. Some folks, including your author, went without cellular service. In my last trip, I had no problems getting a sim card. On this trip, I showed them my passport and they simply gave me a sim card and I charged it up with internet and my friend shared minutes.
Driving in Tunis brings me back to simulators in driver training in high school. You watched films while pretending to drive. A voice in the background would warn you to be on the alert for crossing pedestrians, cars, or some other hazard. Driving in Tunis had more hazards than the driver training videos. Cars, with inexperienced operators, were cutting me off, tailgating, or driving down the centerline using the dashed white lines in alignment with their hood ornaments. Scooter operators without helmets are riding the center line and dodging in and out of traffic. Bicycles followed the pedestrians bringing defensive driving to a whole new level.
Passing through traffic circles is the WWE equivalent of a battle royal or a bench clearing brawl in any sport...a free for all. Leaving a mall we frequented while working here, someone clipped the left rear corner of my rental while entering a traffic circle. It was a busy circle and the window to avoid a traffic jam was small. It didn't seem to cause any damage so we went our own ways. I had liability insurance through Expedia but I'd have to settle the damages on my own if there were any. The rental car folks noticed where we rubbed away the grime but indicated that all was well. My damage deposit was refunded in full.
Long ago, I wanted to get into IT as a retirement gig. I learned that the easiest way to turn someone from a type B personality to a type A personality is to tell them they won't have internet for a bit. Kill that plan. The same is true waiting for the stoplight to change at an intersection. Stoplights have a red-yellow combo light that alerts the drivers that the light changes to green. If you're not rolling before the light turns green, the driver behind you is laying on their horn and flashing their headlights at you. Chances are good they're waving a fist and swearing at you to boot. Toss in bicycles imitating pedestrians darting in and out of traffic suddenly invading your peripheral vision. There's plenty of opportunities for the type B to type A conversion...
To express it kindly, driving maturity/etiquette increase with driving experience and there's many inexperienced drivers. Pedestrians seemingly ignore traffic hoping they have enough prayer credit for another crossing.
My friend asked why I didn't use turn signals. "Well..." It's like a cold water plunge, you simply jump in hoping/praying for the best. It's faith. It reminds me of driving in Armenia. By happenstance, the company mandated an online defensive driving course shortly after I returned from Tunisia. Go figure!
With the seeming car overload condition, parking/finding parking spots can be a huge challenge. Double parking is common.
On my last day, I went to lunch returning to see a parking boot on my rental. Thoughts that I wouldn't make my flight leaving at 0200 the next day started racing in my mind. We had lots of errands to run. That too, would be cancelled. Lucky for us, we called the number on the ticket. Less than ten minutes later, we gave someone 20 dinar, seven US dollars, and he removed the boot. No, it wasn't a bribe. It was the on the spot fine I had to pay because I, unknowingly, didn't pay the 30 cent per hour parking fee. My friend and I had a long discussion about the significance of the twenty dinar. It's a significant portion of the typical Tunisian household budget. In the US, it's cheap parking.
Tunis has a ground level, track mounted trolley system. Got stopped in a traffic jam which pinched me in on the tracks. I was saying my prayers thinking it wouldn't be long before I'd meet my Maker. I was staring into the eyes of a trolley driver. The trolley driver waved me by.
All of this driving insanity is nothing new but it takes a bit to get used to it.
I still do a double take as I drive by the US Embassy which I was part of the team that built it when I first lived in Tunisia. There was new construction going on and the exterior was no longer in the middle of nowhere. All the embassies I've built are, initially, in the middle of nowhere. Eventually, given the real estate price escalation, a city fills that void. I'm told the new construction is for a larger marine house.
Needed distilled water for the CPAP. Purchased from local pharmacies off the shelf, contents from both containers are suitable. One container gets a double take.
Gone for a week, I was just getting acclimated to the time changes when I flew back to Mexico and started all over again. Given that the European version of Diet Coke is Coke Zero, no calories and no caffeine, I had no help from caffeine.
Weather was pleasantly sunny and warm with a couple days of rain. It seemed I never left Mexico.
The chain franchises are slowly coming to Tunisia. When I was here, there was a Radio Shack and a Pizza Hut but both closed before I could come for a visit. I stayed at a new Marriott Hotel...extravagant and pricy. The Marriott had lots of marble and even a charging port for your Porsche. There's Chili's and KFC. Carrefour and Monoprix are the French equivalent of Wal-Mart. Shell is here. There's a movie theater. I don't recall seeing Marriott and KFC in my 2019 visit though I believe Marriott was there. Car brands and foods...the usual international conglomerates are here: Snickers, Pepsi, Coke, Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, Nestle... Many countries require some sort of joint local ownership before international corporations are allowed to move in. Value added tax, VAT, is added to imported products. In many countries, you can't export the local currency. This includes the Tunisian dinar.
My only souvenirs were a 220-volt food processor and some Turkish cookies I could buy in Tunis for the guys (and myself) at the office. It s not easy to get 220-volt appliances in the US except online. We didn't do much touristy stuff...just foodies...photos of my food.
Had my first lamb in many years. I can buy it in the more expensive AZ grocery stores but it's very expensive and I can't find the lamb leg. I have an idea what to make and how to make it. I'll have a YouTube assist. Had a couple of seafood orgies including calamari. Long ago, I learned I can't get calamari in the US unless I want it chewy like a rubber band. They know how to make it in Tunisia. Went on a quest for the best lamb.
The diet; I tracked it but it went on vacation too. Gained a couple pounds while I was there. I didn't do much walking while I was there but the hotel had new gym equipment so I rode the stationary bike every day.
It boggled the brain but if you put a tip on top of the credit card bill, the staff doesn't receive it. You have to tip in cash for the staff to receive a tip.
After 9/11, the US started scrutinizing foreign investments. Real estate investments are big in Tunis. Speculative real estate is building facades hoping there will be an eventual tenant somewhere in the future. Seemingly empty buildings (shell construction) are everywhere.
Along the Mediterranean, Northern Africa, including Tunisia, is considered to be the playground for Europe.
We drove past a protest the police had cordoned off. My friend says that like when we were here, there are lots of educated young people who are unemployed. That's the formula for unrest. Many are too lazy/unwilling to work. Sound familiar?
The airport seems unchanged. It s primitive.
Got checked for outgoing cash, a first for me. Normally, you're asked about money you bring in the country. Never had the customs agent thumb through my papers so he must have been looking for something that he didn't find. It's not legal to export Tunisian Dinar. I had 5 Dinar, $1.67. No, he was searching for paper Tunisian paper currency. I had about $700 and 40 Euros. This was okay. I was free to go.
The people have an old-world charm but like everywhere else, are glued to their smartphones.
I too am techno-dependent. I needed my GPS app on my phone to navigate just about anywhere. It never let me down. I landmarked more points so I could return to some of my favorite spots.
COVID hit Tunisia hard and continued to wreak havoc for a long time after it was under control in the modern world. My friend had it six times even after the shots and boosters. I carried masks in my luggage but never wore one. I admit that COVID made me apprehensive about going to Tunisia but I'm glad I went.
Someone asked about the biggest difference now versus when I was in Tunisia twenty years ago. The answer is simply, "More": More cars, buildings, more people...more. Photos from when I lived in Tunisia are here.
Folks at the office always ask, how was your vacation. In this case, and most, and unlike Vegas, my trips home aren't vacations. They're the five F's: Food, Family, Finances, Friends, and Fhysicians. Tunis was a foodie.
I'll explain. In between leaving Kosovo in 2019, but before I came to Mexico, I went to the optometrist for what would turn into cataracts. The hardest part in the process, in this case, cataract surgery, is the journey. To let the eyes return to their natural curvature, I stopped wearing my contacts three weeks before the procedures. I discovered my latent disdain for wearing my glasses. It took a couple of months just to get the appointment for a physical for the procedure at a clinic across the border in Nogales, AZ. The eye surgeons weren't too explicit on the tests they wanted. I made two trips to get the blood test. The AZ clinic didn't do all the tests they needed so I had to go home earlier than planned. It was either go home a few days earlier, delay the process, or go as scheduled but operate without anesthesia. I chose going home earlier. The other options weren't really options for me. The big day will come when I ditch the fluids and glasses and contacts all that money goes to the trash! Wishful thinking!
The scary part of the cataract surgeries is that everyone says I shouldn't need glasses after the process. The literature I was given didn't say that. It did note that my old lens prescriptions would no longer be valid for me. That leaves that little voice of doubt going inside the brain. I spoke with many friends who'd had cataracts removed and their responses were positive. Wait and see is what my brain said. "Don't worry!" When it's me and someone wants to cut me open: anytime, anywhere, anyone cuts me open, I worry.
Got an email telling me that my American Airlines miles were about to expire so I booked Nickel Dime airlines to Omaha. I avoid them like the plague but the company uses them so I try to keep my miles. Years ago, AA dropped about 40k miles by a couple of days just add it to the list. It wasn't bad flying. Booked them later for the return to Tucson. Truth be told, American had flights more conducive to my needs.
After I arrived in Omaha, the following morning, I had one doctor appointment that closed out the paper trail needed for the cataract surgery. I left Mexico with only one pill left in the bottle I took. Two weeks for fifty bucks of just one medication, ouch!
I had a few days to kill so enter Mr. Ed into the narrative. Drove to KC for Mr. Ed and Royals baseball. I love kicking in the tunes and dialing a few friends to talk while I'm driving and that s what I did. It makes the time go much faster.
My friend told me that the Royals were out of playoff contention after the first game of the season. Tampa 4-2. Your author had a difficult time not nodding off during the game. We went back to Mr. Ed's to watch the end of the KC soccer team lose too. Not a good day for KC sports.
Mr. Ed retired a few months back. Jealousy sets in.
The next day, I drove off to Mass before mega-diet busting Stroud's chicken, chicken noodle soup, sweet rolls.... The flood gates were open before, during, and after Stroud's. The sun came out when I got to the KC outskirts. I stopped to see Ma but she was sleeping.
Monday brought the first of two surgeries. The surgical nurse asked if I was scared. Only a fool wouldn't be. The actual surgical process took less than fifteen minutes...what I remember. Nobody could answer the question why I couldn't have both eyes done in one day other than the insurance companies don't allow both eyes done in the same day...if something went wrong, they'd be complicit/liable. Oh, the lawyers these days!
Both operations were quick, efficient, and painless. Monday, the left eye, the weaker of the two, started the process. I got the bad news that I'd need corrective lenses after the process. After the second surgery, I had a brief chat with the ophthalmologist who told me that without corrective lenses, I was legal to drive in Nebraska. On the day following the last operation the need for corrective lenses was confirmed by my optometrist. As my eyes were still recovering/evolving, he let me get one set of lenses for frames I already had.
Before the procedures, I was near sighted. Now, I m far sighted. Simply explained, my contacts are now inside my eyes. I can see the edges of the lenses inside my eyes. Eventually, I'll return to wearing at least one hard contact. Reading on my computer or phone can be difficult. My optometrist told me that my use of the obsolete hard contact probably saved my eye structure from further decay. The attaboy in my position was prior to changing to contacts, my glass prescription changed yearly. Wearing contacts for 44 years, my prescription changed once slightly.
It's eerie. I wake up and my mind mistakenly thinks I fell asleep in my contacts. Why didn't I take out the contacts before I go to bed? The habits accrued in 44 years of wearing contacts don't go away quickly.
Right now, my feelings regarding cataract surgery are mixed. I know I needed to have it done to prevent future blindness. I'm grateful. I can't say I'm better off other than the black streaks disappearing from my vision. I have white streaks now. With contacts, I could always see the edges of the contacts. My vision hasn't improved from contacts to lens implants. My vision is about the same compared to my contacts. I still need cheaters or prescription lenses. Now, I see the edges of the replacement lenses so it's not much different than before. The service I received from my optometrist and the eye folks was over the top awesome. They went to extraordinary lengths for me.
Got my replacement glasses a week after returning to Mexico. They didn't cure the deficiency in my left eye. With the mega-expensive eye drops I took, I wake in the middle of the night with stinging eyes. All part of progress I guess.
The rest of my doctor's appointments went fine so I guess my warranty got extended another six months.
Waiting around in Omaha wasn't easy to deal with. I had plenty of idle time. The uncertainty of my medical procedures made specific time commitments difficult, so I didn't set up many social meetings. I saw movies and made trips to see Ma. I admit that idle outpatient recovery time is better than killing time in a hospital room.
The Omaha weather was sunny and warm but not hot...perfect for bicycling but the medics said there was no strenuous exercise for three days after surgery. Rats! Would have been perfect to hang out at the gym too! I did get in a bit of riding on SYB and saw a few movies. Exercise was confined to walking. There were a few rain showers. It was much cooler than Mexico.
I wasn't in bicycle shape. The knees turned to mush so walking after I rode was difficult. No, I have my bike gear here in Mexico but seeing the condition of the streets and the driving habits of the Mexicans dismissed any thoughts of bike riding at this post.
I flew back through Phoenix. You may be aware that Phoenix has had temps well above 100℉ (38° Celsius) for many days. If you remember, years ago, Phoenix had record temps that prevented airplanes from taking off. My flights went as scheduled but I found this article online the following day which I shared on Facebook.
I had plenty of time after I landed in Tucson and finished my shopping to have a nice dinner before I crossed back over into Mexico but I was so tired, and having eaten many of the same foods while in Omaha, I bought a deli sandwich at Wally's and headed south to Nogales. As I get older, I can't simply get home from travel late in the evening and head to work the next as I did in my youth. I need time to put stuff away, get ready for work the next day, and mellow out.
Nogales got blasted by the summer heat spell that hit the southwest US. When the sun goes down, it gets very pleasant here. When I returned to Nogales, the rainy season provided some relief from the heat blasts. With the elevated temps, more of our crew were wearing masks to prevent dehydration than during COVID.
We use iris scanners at work. We scan in to start as we enter and scan out as we leave work. One of my big questions regarding my cataract surgeries was will my eyes pass or will I need them rescanned. The office manager at the cataract surgery office wondered what I did for a living. I explained so she asked the doctors who said I wouldn't need to be rescanned. They were correct.
For my cataract thirty day follow up exam, I went across the border to Nogales AZ. My left eye developed scar tissue which is common for patients with cataracts. They set me up with an eye surgeon in Tucson the following week. I'm not a big fan of driving through Tucson to go anywhere and this was no exception. Except for the airport, trips to Tucson are generally cross-town and there isn't a fast way of getting anywhere. The eye surgeon gave me a date for my surgery but not a time, again in Tucson, with an instruction that I'd be contacted three days before the surgery with a time. This time, it's a simple laser procedure that takes minutes. The laser surgery follow up would be at the same location in Nogales AZ. Corrective lenses, part II, will follow. Again, any surgery involving me, no matter how simple anyone says, is cause to worry.
My laser eye surgery went as planned. It didn't start out well as the surgeon jammed his lens in my eye without warning. My eye welcomes my touch, not from others. Speculation says the unannounced jam was intentional but it went away quickly. I heard several clicks and a couple of minutes later, it was over. I was intrigued at the workings of the eye surgery office and staff which seemed to me of a high-tech eye surgery as meticulously planned as McDonalds does about hamburgers. I had contingency plans for a ride home but drove myself back to Mexico stopping to shop and have dinner on the way.
The follow-up exam was uneventful and I wait for my January trip home to get my corrective lenses. I haven't needed glasses since I had the cataracts removed so vision is fine other than reading work presentations from medium distances doesn't happen.
Both eyes secrete far more mucus than ever before I had the cataracts removed. The eyes know that there's something foreign inside my eyes. Each time I awaken, my brain tells me I fell asleep with my contacts in my eyes. I don't see black streaks in my vision...white ones when the eyes are changing focus. I haven't done anything with my old contacts and eyeglasses other than the ones I had changed in hopes it'd clear up the slight flaw in the left eye. No, I'd be a liar if I said I'd worn the glasses with the new lenses for an hour.
Got an email about a non-official Halloween party. Let's dredge up some ideas. Take a little bit of this (bib overalls) and some of that (COVID smiley mask), toss in dark shades from cataract surgery, and a Rasta hat with dreads from a Halloween party years ago. There were a few creative costumes.
In one update, I conveyed my few regrets while in Mexico was not going to see the Lucha Libre (Mexican professional wrestlers). Between COVID and my colleague/wrestling buddy getting transferred, I feared I'd never see the Lucha Libre wrestlers in person. I've seen them on TV but the closest I'd seen of the Lucha Libre here in Nogales were various billboards and one wrestling ring that seemed to be used the night before at a local fair. Enter Facebook and a local colleague to the rescue. I saw the advertisement, made a note of it, and saved it to my phone the second time I saw the graphic. It had a phone number. I can deal with that. No, my Spanish hasn't improved. I invited a colleague who noted the venue location wasn't one of the best parts of town so he invited five others, two Spanish speakers. Suddenly, it was a party. We bought the best seats available (500 pesos, about 30 US dollars) which turned out to be the second row. Click on the photo for the Facebook link.
My colleague/driver, rather than go on what he knew of the venue and where he thought it would be, Googled the wrong venue name/address. Three guys using three different smart phones all giving directions at the same time was amusing but it only made the search worse. Common sense prevailed and we still had plenty of lost time to burn. We used about half of that allotment living up to the name...lost. Even got to watch some youth soccer before the venue opened. I'd guess the venue was slightly under half full at five-hundred folks. Three souvenir Lucha Libre masks were purchased in our party as well as a few selfies. Photos, ticket stub, and event flier, (all digital) were my only souvenirs. A few of the performers came out before the show for photos, sign autographs, sell souvenirs, and chat with the fans. It truly was a fan-friendly event. In fact, some of the performers would chat, hug, sign autographs, and pose for photographs during their performance, no-no in the performing arts. Interacting with the crowd, taunting, fan participation, does happen occasionally on TV and live events but not to the extent at this show. Luckily, the fan interaction was friendly and never seemed to get out of hand like I'd seen before in the US and knew about in Mexico. It would have been much more fun had we been drinking but for our own personal safety, not knowing what the event conditions would be, we went sober and stayed that way for the whole show. Someone said alcohol sales weren't allowed in the venue. I saw none for sale inside the building but beer was on sale outside the building.
Pro wrestling is all about name recognition. I had no idea who any of the performers were even though they were on the event flier. I knew nothing of their rivalries. It was hard to distinguish who were the baby faces (good characters) and heels (evil characters). The Mexicans were excited when they seemed to personally recognize a performer who acknowledged them in return. Again, this would be the exception rather than the norm in the larger American wrestling organizations where it's another no-no.
Obviously, the better performers came later in the show. I've been a lifelong fan of pro wrestling, but it was hard to figure out the rules (if any) and number of falls to determine the outcome. Granted, it was in Spanish and mine is nil but I swear there were a few draws when it came to pin falls. The opening match, ladies, was the only singles match. The rest were tag team matches (regular or triple), some formal tag matches, others not. There were no tag ropes and referees selectively enforced wrestling tags. Rules? Right!
There was a lengthy break from the action when a commemorative ceremony was held for a wrestler who died in 2016. His rather large extended family was in the ring as part of the ceremony. His father later came out and wrestled as part of a triple tag team match. The father of the wrestler being honored, looked about my age...probably staring at retirement too! He looked like his best ring days were a decade or two ago but he was in the ring.
Some of the comedic moments wouldn't happen in the US. Characters: plenty of that: Trans female, GI Joe in a mask, seemingly overly gay male, an older Indian chief reinforcing all the stereotypes, butt grabbing...a male little person or the trans female giving the stink face (rear end to the opponent's face) to people incapable of defending themselves. Forced kissing...
Homophobic/trans slurs and inter-gender contact wouldn't happen in the US but did in this show. In the WWE/AEW performances, women and men do wrestle men though you don't see men striking women. In this performance, women and men did wrestle together and the men hit the women. The crowd seemed infatuated with shouts egging on the wrestlers to kiss each other. Be it heterosexual or homosexual, some performers complied much to the roar of the crowd. The Mexicans didn't seem to be as sensitive to humor Americans would deem as politically incorrect. It wasn't on TV so witnesses were limited to the crowd on hand (and the iPhone reporters in the crowd). A colleague noted there was a lot of swearing. Obviously, I wouldn't know.
One of the female performers, out of costume, came and sat next to me and filmed the last match on her phone. I spotted a few performers with the look that could be desirable for the big US leagues. Mexico and Japan are often training spots for professional wrestlers honing their craft. Both Tokyo and Mexico City are almost sacred ground for veteran professional wrestlers. Most performers, including the masked ones, appeared to be happy just being there performing what they love in front of a crowd despite the aches and pains accumulated from over their performing years. I'm speculating that getting paid to do something these athletes loved could have been a bonus.
I heard lots of painful thuds of the bodies of the performers hitting the surface of the thinly protected basketball court outside the ring. My first reaction was "ouch!" Couldn't help but wonder if the first thoughts of the wrestler hitting the hard court surface was opening the eyes wondering "the pain I feel is the first sign that I'm alive".
I often wonder what drives athletes to put their bodies on the line for the slim possibility of fame and fortune but physical detriment for the rest of their lives. These same folks are willing to put their bodies and lives on the line as proof. Guess we have dreams and not all of us fit working in a nine to five world.
There were two performers carried out by stretcher. The match came to a screeching halt when the two were injuries occurred. The delay continued after the injured were removed for the remaining performers had to collect the money the fans tossed into the ring. From the reaction of the ringside medic, this was a shoot (real) injury rather than a work (fake or staged). Perhaps, the money was to help offset medical expenses of the injured.
Hard rock music: Michael Jackson, AC-DC, etc., filled the air to get the crowd pumped for action.
Unlike the US, there was no dividing rail between the performers and the fans. Fans could walk right up to the ring and the wrestling action often carried out to the crowd. Folks in the front rows scattered when they saw the action coming their way...and it did. Our seat group terminated at the aisle where the wrestlers entered the gym from the locker room. We could reach out and touch the wrestlers but we kept to ourselves.
There were a few pyrotechnics reserved for probably the more popular wrestlers. The last match had confetti shot out from one wrestling entrance spread out all over the wrestling ring.
It had a carnival-like environment. Someone was carrying around a python for the fans to hold. Some did. While it would create a huge FB/BLT photo op, it got a big PASS from me. While the python looked docile, I'm not that brave and there's some things I won't do in the name of journalism. Someone even sold 50-50 tickets.
The venue was a recently constructed basketball court that was clean and modern. It wasn't fancy but basic. I was concerned that it would be smoky and steamy hot with little or no HVAC but it was quite comfortable. Granted, the facility was half capacity.
Graphics around the ring and behind the ring were very professional. The wrestling ring was well lit but the ring surface seemed sloped to one corner and cushioned...much softer than an American pro wrestling ring.
The whole event brought back memories of my trip to Bangkok to see the Thai Boxers. In the Bangkok show, watching the gamblers' section and all the money flying around wagering on the fight was the show. The action in the ring was secondary. Click here for the story.
When I watch pro wrestling from my apartment, I always have another thing to do such as working on my computer. I can always follow the overall story, especially with the announcers. With these Lucha Libre wrestlers, my eyes were glued to the action, mesmerized by the entire show even though I'd spent the majority of that day and the previous day binge watching professional wrestling streaming on the web. With all the performers, following everything just wasn't possible but I did my best. I've often heard pro wrestling is a human demolition derby. If you add in a "crossed with a costume party/brawl" to the description, it's the best analogy I can give.
We left after four hours of the show. It was a school night and it seemed to be the logical conclusion. Fliers for the next performance were distributed during the performance. Sure enough, it was in my FB feed. It was one of my regrets had I not been able to see at least one Lucha Libre show. I'm happy to say I got to go. In the days afterward, some of the attendees were asking when we're getting the tickets. My Sundays are sacred...hard to sacrifice a lot of time when you don't have time to spare.
Weeks after the show, I spotted a colleague wearing a key chain necklace with Lucha Libre masks. She said she looked for local Lucha Libre unsuccessfully. And I helped...
I showed this engineer and our ticket agent/procurer the photos I took from the event. The latter recognized one of the wrestlers as a former high school classmate.
We didn't make it to the next Lucha Libre (Mexican Professional Wrestling) but we did find another on my Facebook feed. Working six days a week means days off are a premium. The show was an hour earlier, there were fewer matches, and gaps between the matches were longer but we got out much sooner which was good on a school night. Nobody in our crew was fluent in Spanish but we relied on our experience. Fortunately, no incidents created the need. I did see Tecate beer on sale but I stuck to water. The heat in the building had been shut off prior to the event so it radiated cold. The coat I wore didn't keep me warm. We sat in the front row this time. We were slapping fives to the wrestlers as they passed and ducking wrestlers as they were flying into neighboring chairs. Yes, we could hear the smacking of the chairs on the wrestler...that was real. There were no trans or little people like our first show. The snake made a return appearance but none of our crew indicated they were brave enough for that Facebook moment. I didn't see any fliers announcing the next event though I probably will see some announcement on future Facebook feeds. Guys were saying it'll be a while before the next event but were thinking it would be something to do when the next event happens.
Had two tickets to the December Raiders-Chargers game in Vegas. My friend canceled. I've been a longtime fan of the Bellamy Brothers whose only appearance was the same night as the game. I thought about selling both tickets to see the concert but the concert is after the game. Now, I have tickets to both and I put the extra ticket on the Ticketmaster web site for resale. Let's see how that goes. As dumb luck would have it, I bought the ticket insurance, so I filed a claim for refund. I bought the tickets in May realizing there was a lot that could happen between when I bought the tickets and when the ticket would be used. I was thinking/hoping/praying I'd be elsewhere in the world but that was wishful thinking. The ticket didn't sell online but the insurance company confirmed I'd be reimbursed.
I asked my taxi driver what the spread was of the game. He said Raiders by three. "Who died?" Chargers QB was out for the season for pinky surgery. Chargers should have rolled but they felt they shouldn't maintain possession of the football. I left at the beginning of the fourth quarter with a score of Raiders 63-7. Chargers scored a couple more touchdowns but the game was a bust.
I was impressed with the new stadium but new stadiums give teams liberty to crank up ticket prices to stratosphere levels. As the old Bud Light commercial goes for Mr. Nosebleed Season Ticket Holder, it took two sherpas and a mountain goat to get to the seat. I could see the field however.
Las Vegas tourists live with taxies. The stadium doesn't have good taxi access so I felt better about leaving early. Busses parked close to the stadium. I kept looking and asking about a taxi stand but hailed a taxi off the street and I was early for the concert. Had an interesting ride with a racist taxi driver whose driving skills made me question my own mortality but that's another story. Email me for details...
The Bellamy Brothers wasn't a bucket list concert but it's close. I hit their web site on occasion and see lots of tour dates but timing and location never really meets my availability and the window of opportunity was getting smaller.
Given my mobile status, I didn't see many future opportunities so I was kinda giddy! Ticket was row 4. My musical heroes keep passing on to the great concert jam in heaven. The ticket said no photos or recording but folks were snapping pictures and taking videos so I got a few photos myself. Nothing was said. The Bellamys played all their hits. My seat was four rows from the speakers so there was some distortion. I felt like the drummer mailed in his part of the show compared to their albums but they played all their hits. One tick of the almost bucket list.
The rodeo was in town. I can't recall ever seeing so many cowboy hats anywhere, ever. I saw the San Antonio rodeo only because Journey played after the rodeo.
My only bitch about this trip is that I have global entry so I can travel through TSA quickly. My information is in the Southwest computer system yet it didn't appear on my boarding pass nor my eticket. I almost missed my return flight having to wait to get through security.
Technology update: Two sets of Bose ear buds (girlfriend kidnapped the first set with no plans to offer a ransom), new laptop to replace my old go to computer which went on the fritz, and newest, baddest cell phone (ransom #2). She took the ear buds, cell phone, and one cell phone and one laptop went to the Geek Squad for recycling. Parting is such sweet sorrow.
Bluelou update: Still putting pre- in front of the word diabetic. Still keeping that weight off. I'm still holding at 215 pounds (98kg)...75 pounds (34kg) below my COVID 20 high of 290 pounds (132kg).
The project and the brochure forecasting the appearance of our project are looking more and more alike. I see the facade both day and night and I give the night version the more attractive vote though it's designed for daytime efficiency.
We're competing with other projects finishing at the same time for engineers and inspection teams so it'll be down to the wire when we officially finish. Work around the holidays is a coin toss at best. The list of those willing to travel to and from site is pretty much nil.
With the end of the project comes layoffs and transfers. Some our employees will be transferred to our other projects seeing a bit of the world that they probably haven't seen. Like a proud teacher or a parent, I get excited at the thought.
In my professional experience, I see women in the office doing all facets of work and women in the field as cleaners. When I was in Armenia I felt that if I could recruit enough Armenian women for a construction crew, I could rule the construction world as they were intelligent, hard working, and unlike men, would stop and ask for direction at the sign of confusion. The men would trudge on through generally choosing the wrong solution. Here in Mexico, we've promoted some of our cleaners to finishing work (painters, caulkers, etc.). While I'm not part of the field work, I'm still proud working for a company and those women that benefited from the outcome.
I went nowhere for the holidays. Remember, Vegas in December and home in January for the next running of the doctors. I had a few days to burn that I can spend in the US so stay tuned.
Not working on American holidays sometimes happens when the project is nearing the end. Thanksgiving...crock pot dinner: turkey, carrots, potatoes and instant stuffing with canned gravy while maintaining my diet carb limits. I learned to air fry my turkey legs so I have a choice. Sold my visiting friend on smoked turkey, tater tots, and green beans so that was my Thanksgiving. I don't really remember any non-working Thanksgiving days with my present employer unless I'm assigned to the home office. And yes, I've worked a few Christmas days as well.
As a youngster, I didn't care for turkey so I ate hot dogs for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I didn't care for dry meat. Ma fed me a turkey leg and I was in business. I had hot dogs for lunch on turkey keeping up a personal tradition.
The company had a pseudo-potluck Thanksgiving dinner for the Saturday after Thanksgiving. My friend made lasagna a few days before and I had zero available freezer space, so I brought lasagna to the company Thanksgiving dinner.
The company Christmas party was held a week later. Because of my weight loss, clothing was hard to gage. I wore a suit jacket I bought in college but hadn't worn since my college job hunting days. Though tight in the shoulders, it fit in an unbuttoned state. Thought I'd wear something kinky and this was my best idea. If anyone noticed, nobody said anything. Dinner was held not far from my usual dinner time. I ate and headed to the door a few seconds after dropping the fork and knife. The physical presence test works for the IRS so it works for me.
2023 was the year I resumed travel with multiple trips to Phoenix and Tucson, two trips to Vegas, two trips to Omaha, and one return to Tunisia. 2024, in all likelihood, I should be in a new location. I'll have been in Mexico for five years as of February 2024, a record for me since high school. It's a question of where and when I go. You can read about it here at the BLT.
Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Happy Kwanza! Happy Chanukah!
