February 14, 2015. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Elevators.

When the elevator door opens, I get out, even if I am on the wrong floor.    I am not alone in having this habit.  This afternoon, we four were in the elevator along with two other men.  They stopped at the 3rd floor and Ian got out with Rita in the wheel chair.  I hollered at him and pushed the button to hold the door open and eventually he figured what we were saying and got back in so we could all continue down to the 1st floor.

This morning, I went down to have documents scanned and e mailed at our concierge, Marlin.   She is a nice lady so we chatted a bit and then I headed up to our condo, all the while looking at the forms.  I pushed the button for our floor and got in.  I was alone.  When the doors opened, I got out and walked down the balcony to our unit.  When I arrived, I noted that the door was locked.  I had left the bolt open and did not take a key.   I knocked gently on the door.  Then I knocked again but harder.  No one came.  Next I went back to the buzzer and rang it twice.  And I rang it again, but all to no avail.  No one would come and let me in.

Finally, my brain clicked into gear.  I was on the 5th floor.  Fortunately, no one was home at 501.  When I went back to the elevator and pushed the correct button 7, I found the door with the dead bolt left open so I could just walk in at 701.   Everyone was home waiting for me.

Once I did the same thing at a hotel.  I was giving a talk the next day and had gone down for dinner but when I got to my room, my electronic key card would not work.  Then I realized that I was at the wrong room and on the wrong floor so back I went to the front desk to ask for the number of my room.  That took some explaining but was easily fixed.  They did wonder about me I bet.   Now I must remember to look before I get out of the elevator.  Next time I will.

February 13, 2016. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Salmon.

There are folks in the world who do not like to eat salmon...but not me.   Salmon is my favorite fish.  My family lived in Vancouver from 1948 to 1953.    When the salmon was running, my Father would go to the dock and buy a large salmon right off the boat from the fisherman, which meant that the fish was fresh.  My Mother would bake the whole thing, wrapped in cheese cloth and we ate it that night for dinner.  It was delicious.  I have been eating salmon ever since, but never fresh right off the boat.

Before the arrival of ice and refrigerated trucks and boats, the only time we could eat salmon was out of a can.  I have friends who still prefer canned salmon.   But now we can obtain fresh salmon everywhere, thanks to ice and fish farmers.   Salmon is affordable too.

The Mega has an excellent fish department so when we shopped, I bought a large salmon and put it in the freezer.  Tonight, Rita prepared an early Valentines Day dinner of salmon, potatoes, carrots and salad.  It was a superb dinner.  We have enough left over for a lunch for salmon salad sandwiches, plus four pieces for another dinner.  This salmon was Pacific salmon and it tasted great.  I feel fortunate to be able to obtain good salmon any time of the year and in any place I live, because I love eating salmon, perhaps because my Father brought the fresh caught salmon home for dinner, all those years ago.

February 12, 2016. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Pool People.

Every person sitting around the pool is interesting, if you know enough about them.  Rita is a friendly soul and chats with people who stop to comment on her boot/cast,  but who mostly want to relate their travails with a broken leg.    She and Ian have spent quite a bit of time by the pool,  and have made friends.   This afternoon I spent all afternoon with them so I got to meet some of them.

One couple from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba,  live there for six months and the rest of the year at a tiny town in Newfoundland.  His 4 sisters and their families  still live there.  Since retirement 5 years ago they have driven and taken the ferry,  but starting this year, they will leave a car in their garage and begin flying.  This is the first winter they have been at Playa Royale.  They came expecting to stay 3 weeks but they changed their plans and will be here until the end of March.  They have already booked here next year.   The wife was born and raised in Manitoba but she loves Newfoundland.  The husband went west to work in the mines and ended up in Manitoba.  This summer they have planned a driving trip around Nova Scotia and have already selected the south shore as one of the areas they will visit.

Canadians are everywhere here.   One very nice couple are from Winnipeg which is very cold right now.  Another man from the hot tub lives in Kamloops.  When I tell people I come from Mississippi they seem puzzled because everyone else comes from the north.  And I don't seem to speak southern.

Our afternoon sitting by the pool was a delight, topped off by a margarita.  We actually did not go up until after 6.  The people at the pool kept us entertained.

February 11, 2016. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Dinner at Noon.

Our favorite meal is eating dinner at noon.  We like to eat our largest amount of food early in the afternoon.  Then at the supper time we just pick out something easy from the fridge with everyone looking out for themselves.  Today we hit the jackpot.  We ate the best meal in a restaurant since arriving in Mexico.  And it all came as a big surprise.

Our excursion today was to walk to the Yacht Club for lunch.  Ken and I had eaten lunch there with Robbie and Joyce and we wanted Rita and Ian to see the boats at the marina.   I was ready to order something for a light lunch but when I heard Ken order Mojoenlins, I asked him where that was on the menu.   I had not even seen it but after looking it over, I ordered it too.  Rita too.   Ian ordered a hamburger.

The food was a long time coming but when it came, three large stone round containers full of meat and sauce and vegetables were put in front of each of us.   I have no clue what was in the sauce but it was delicious and very Mexican.  We ate chicken, beef, fish, shrimp and smoked sausage, along with avacado, onions and green peppers.  And lots of them.   We three ate and ate and ate.  And we enjoyed every bite.

We were so full we took the shuttle from Paradise Village back to Playa Royale.  Walking home in the heat would have been difficult.  All four of us took a rest and congratulated ourselves on eating our dinner at noon.

February 10, 2016. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Job Description.

Ian's task is self appointed.  He has elected to clean the kitchen after dinner, which includes loading the dishwasher and scrubbing the pots and pans.  And he clears the dishes from the table.  According to Ian, his job description is narrow.  It does not include cooking at all and he does not serve dessert.  He also takes the trash to the chute.  No one asked Ian to perform these very useful jobs but he announced that he had selected these tasks for himself and he would prefer that no one try to intrude onto his responsibilities.  We laughed and assured him that we would leave the jobs to him.

Ken has named him The Scullery Maid, so that is what he calls himself.   I must say that having a Scullery Maid in the house is a huge asset.  I never knew we needed one until now.

Last year, when Rita and Ian were in the ocean, Rita had the topof her bathing suit pulled off in the high waves.   Fortunately, they found it.  Before they came this year, their daughter Renee took Rita shopping and bought her two new bathing suits, so no mishaps could occur this year.  Of course, Rita is in an air cast and can not go into the ocean but she is enjoying the new bathing suits while sitting around the pool, all thanks to Renee.   The bathing suits have stayed right in place and look lovely.  Hat's off to Renee.

February 9, 2016. Nuevo Vallarta, Richard.

We all know that dying is as much a part of life as being born.  But somehow or another, when someone you know and love dies,  it comes as a surprise, and you are shocked and saddened.  The sentiments are selfish.  I want to be able to have another conversation with Richard, but that will never happen again because our friend Richard died last evening at home in Houston.

Richard was ready to leave this world.  He always said that he had accomplished everything he had wanted in this life so he was not fighting to stay alive.  He put the details of his life in order and organized his affairs in such a way so Marilyn will be able to carry out his wishes without hassle.  The past few weeks of his life were without any pain but he was fading away and last evening he died.  We will miss him.  He was interested and interesting and we had many long spirited conversations.  Both Ken and I are grateful to have known Richard and to have had him a part of our life.    We are sad that he has died even though we know he would disagree with us.  He was ready.

Now we celebrate his life and be grateful and fortunate to have known him, our friend Richard.

February 8, 2016. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Ken.

We keep clothes in the locker here in Playa Royale so we come with a back pack and wear the clothes we left.   Ken tried on a pair of shorts which immediately fell to the floor.  That pair of shorts was put into the back of the drawer.  The next pair he tried on stayed up, until he moved,  when they also fell to the floor.  Clearly, in the year, Ken had lost a lot of weight.  Finally he found two pair of shorts that would stay up without using suspenders, so those are the ones he wears all the time.   He brought shorts with him which he used at The Hard Rock Hotel, but they require suspenders and he does not wish to wear them here in this casual atmosphere.

Today, Ken showered and wanted a new pair of shorts but his only clean pair was in the dryer so he dug a little deeper and found a pair of gym shorts that would stay up, as long as he did not suck in his stomach.  We four walked out for lunch.  It was nip and tuck as to whether or not his shorts would stay up on his hips.  Our walk went well.  The food was excellent at the little restaurant that sits right by the street.  And we were able to walk home with no mishap with Ken's shorts.   We decided that we needed to fatten that man up or buy him more shorts.   Good thing Ken has a good sense of humor.