Tuesday, 18 September 2018: Brussels

The guys from Tundraland arrived about 7:20am and promptly began work on our shower installation.  We were anxious about what they’d find with demo.  When I pulled up the linoleum, we’d found evidence of water leaking.  Was it just a stain from a previous leak or was is an active leak?  Was it from the inside or from the outside?

Justin had caulk gun envy.  While his caulk gun shoots out a thin line, this one produced “sausages”

Before 4pm we had a fabulous new white on white walk-in shower.  We have to wait 24 hours before we can use it...I can’t wait!!!

                 

Spoiler Alert:  7am and 4pm   What a difference a day makes!

 

Sunday, 16 Sept 2018: Brussels

Gemma in her Packer gear at the game.

Packers played the Vikings at home this week.  It was a gold package and since we didn’t have tickets, we headed to Rourer’s for the game.  Early this morning we still didn’t know if Aaron Rodgers will play.  We got to our local tavern just in time to see AR come out of the tunnel and then kickoff.  Funny how networks are choosing not to air the national anthem.  If we remove the opportunity for a place for a peaceful expression, I am confident the oppressed will find another.

Rourer’s has several ways to help celebrate during games.  It seems that most drinking establishments offer a shot with touchdowns.  Brian and Tracy also draw names when a flag is thrown.  If your name is drawn, you drink free until the next flag. You have to really be ready for a drink and sometimes, you learn, you better order quickly.  Last year, when my name was drawn, I had just ordered another beverage.  This time, I was ready and a fresh Bloody Mary was mine.  Justin also was treated to a beer later in the game.  With all the flags being thrown, I won’t even mention the bad flags, lots of people have an opportunity for a free drink.  

Brian and Tracy also host a potluck for games.  This week Brian made pulled pork sandwiches and Tracy made deviled eggs.  If others bring a dish to share, they get their name added to the bucket again thereby increasing their chances for free drinks.  I made spanakopita and tyropitas — green and gold, of course.  Crisp pillows of phyllo dough ... some stuffed with spinach and feta and others filled with cheese and egg...yummy!!!

The game ended in a tie and, as might have been expected, a great deal of consternation about the calls made by referees followed.  

Saturday, 15 September 2018: Brussels

We had a long chat with Steve and Lindy, Justin's niece.  They’ve invited us to meet them on their property out west when we are on our way back north.  They head to New Mexico to escape norther winters.  It sounds appealing.  

Tonight is Erich’s last night to work nights. He’ll go to days; still weekends and still 12 hour shifts but at least he’ll be on days.  He works in intensive care and anticipates that it will be a different pace on days.  He loses a bit of a stipend but this will be better for his family.  He’s also taking stats this term and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

I’m learning that things don’t necessarily mean the same thing to me as they mean in Mexico.  I guess we’ve always known that “manana” may or may not mean tomorrow.  Last winter I learned that notaries in Mexico are really lawyers.  Now I am learning that a power of attorney means something different too.  Alonso has to FedEx papers to Bijan for him to sign even though Bijan left a PoA with Alonso.  Hmmm?  Also in the hmmm? department, someone asked the other day what Abraham had been doing all summer.  Well, if we aren’t the owners, we can’t really direct his work can we?

I just have to shake my head when I remember that the initial paper work indicated that the closing date might be 1 April!  And we were worried about the money getting out of investments quickly enough.  

We talked to Steven Marcoe late last week.  He is in Reno, but Flipped Out, the 41’ Maincat we helped move from Rockport to New Orleans earlier this summer, is on the hard just outside on New Bern NC. Now he needs a new name for the hurricane boat.  

So while Florence pounds the east coast; Typhoon Mangkhut does its damage in the Philippines and in China.  Paul Manifort flipped and will be cooperating with Robert Mueller. The primaries are over and I learned about Beto O’Rourke.  I knew I would want to vote against Ted Cruz but now I see that I will get to vote for Beto.  I still think I should have bought NIke stock. 

Justin helped Jordan a bit today with demo.  (As if he doesn’t have enough to do here.) Jordan and Kris are redoing their cabinets, countertops, appliances, floors, lighting and everything in between. They knocked down a few walls to extend their kitchen.  They’ve made tremendous strides at their cottage so they thought it was time to pay some attention to the house too.

We took the Bayliner out again for a sunset cruise. Tonight we went to Wave Pointe for a drink and appetizers.  It is really relaxing to be on the water.  It is getting cooler so our trips like this are ending for this season.  

Tuesday, 11 September 2018: USA

My heart still hurts.  I remember when Columbine happened in 1999 and it changed the way we looked at schools.  Most kids in school weren’t even alive in 2001 when, again, our lives were totally altered.  I was in Okinawa.  I had just moved into my house but my household goods had not been delivered yet.  No tv, no radio.  I did have a phone.  Mother called to tell me what had happened right before Ruthe, my new boss, called me.  School had been cancelled because we were in the middle of a huge typhoon that circled over the island for three days.  As a result, we were in TCOR 1 (Typhoon Condition of Readiness where 1 is the most severe) and “confined to quarters” at the same time we were it Threatcon “Delta” (threat level critical and immediate) and “confined to quarters.”    I helped in a 100% accounting of all of our teachers and families.  (And that was only preparing me for a few years later when I was at the Japan DSO and we had to account for all teachers and students after Fukushima.)

Today, I only need to worry and Justin and Gemma and it is all ok.

Well, that isn't exactly all that I am worried about -- Bob Woodward's new book "Fear" on the Trump Whitehouse was released today -- OMG!

Monday, 10 September 2018: Brussels

37 days until we leave! OMG!!! We made a list of all the things we need to do to get ready and now it is time to check it twice. Carl was going to live here this winter but now, with a little more information, we've all decided that getting our house truly ready for winter is just a bit more than we all bargained for.  We will go back to plan A and get the shutters up and blow out the water lines.   Justin has started getting boats settled.
 I filled out our insurance papers for massages. I can’t wait to we Aholi again.

Sunday, 9 September 2018: Green Bay

NFL 2018 started this weekend.  The Packers opened the season at home against rival Chicago Bears!  Justin and I were there!

We joined in the city wide festivities yesterday at the Steve Miller Band concert last night in the stadium district; us and over 20,000 of our new best friends.  Anne Marie joined us first for drinks and dinner at Hinterland and then for the concert.  Steve Miller was born in Wisconsin and then moved to the Dallas area when he was five or six returning to UW-Madison for college.  He’s been around forever; hearing some of his old favs was like visiting with old friends. 

Justin bought Nike Packer tennis shoes.  While some are cutting the swooshes off their Nike wear, I want to buy Nike stock.  Colin Kaepernick is standing up for what he believes!

Our first stop on Sunday was a little dive of a bar on the way into town where we both had a Bloody Mary — this is the way to start a football day, right?

About 45 minutes before kick-off

Pre-game warm-ups

I wanted to be in the stadium early.  I wanted to see the warmups, the fly over, the whole sha-bang.  If this is the only game I get to go to this year, I wanted the whole enchilada.  
As it turned out, I got my money’s worth.  The game was indeed a great one.

Coin toss

How many Cheeseheads?  You can have your traditional wedge of cheese, a sombrero,

 a baseball cap, a fedora, a top hat, or even, my personal fav, a cowboy hat.

Late in the 4th quarter -- stands still filled to see Aaron Rodgers, who left the 

field on a cart in the second quarter, return to lead the Packers to overcome a 20 point 

deficit for a 24-23 win over the Bears.  This win puts the Packers ahead at 

97-94-6 in the rivalry that began in 1921.

Serena Williams was in the news today.  Seems she expressed her opinion and got slapped with a double standard.  I remember seeing bad boy John McEnroe at Wimbledon throwing a racquet and screaming at the umpire with barely a reprimand. Unfortunately, the little Japanese girl’s win will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.  Already, I have to go to google to look up her name, Naomi Osaka. 

Friday, 7 September 2018: Brussels

Today was a banner day because I found success.  I had been locked out of my OPM account and Justin’s Social Security account.  I needed paperwork from both places for our application for Mexican residency.  I finally got into the sites, saved the documents I needed and got our applications submitted!  We will have to wait a couple of weeks for them to review our paperwork and then set an appointment in Milwaukee for our interview.  I sure do hope we can get all this done prior to 17 October!

Tuesday, 4 September 2018: NEW

No coffee?  No coffee!
My coffee pot died.  No coffee!  And I just bought that coffee pot!
Breakfast at April's?  You bet.
Then into town to run errands.  The new laptop I bought should have been my highlight of the day, but a new coffee pot took top billing.

We also stopped at Hartung to get more hastas.  Justin has really done a nice job of our landscape.  Now if the tractor would work so he can mow.  He borrowed Jordan's tractor to mow and to pull ours out of the boathouse so we can get it in for repair.

On to Windjammers for Tuesday night races and to pump out Merlin.  It has rained so much lately.

We also bought product to prep the floor in the bathroom.  I pulled up the linoleum in there.  As we get ready for the new walk-in shower, we decided now was the time to do the toilet and the floors.

Saturday, 1 September 2018: Brussels

Two different sets of people came from Bay Area Granite and Marble to look at our countertop — I am still not happy.  The seam color isn’t right, each of the slabs are level but they aren’t level together.  There is at least 1/16” difference and, the biggest problem that the slabs aren’t cut in the same direction.  Just like fabric with a nap, the slabs are totally different colors.  I’m not paying the bill until I am satisfied.  I don’t want to be “that customer” but I am not paying the bill yet.  Jason came over to look too so he can speak to the company rep on our behalf.  Meanwhile, he started working on the shelf that will be above the bar.  We may wait until next year to really get going with this next project.

The shelf will follow the line of the countertop and be supported from the ceiling.

I am excited about the live edge on the support at the cabinet.  

We will lose the light fixture here and replace with puck lights underneath the shelf.  

All of this will preserve and enhance the view to the bay.

We talked to Alonzo again this week.  A month or so ago the show stopper was the documentation regarding establishment of the corporation from Playa Del Carmen. That hurdle was finally cleared and now the deal is that we need to designate an auditor.  Alonzo said it wasn’t a “real” auditor but instead someone who would sign the papers that the lawyer prepared.  Peter served in this role for Maria so he was our logical and first choice.  Alonzo said he’d need copies of Peter’s ID and visa.  When we emailed Bijon, he reminded us that Alonzo has all this already including a copy of Peters passport!  And, the quote of the season -- Justin told Bijon “Even the money is tired of waiting.”

Thursday, 30 August 2018: Brussels

We went to April's for breakfast this morning.  She is such a doll and such a hard worker!  She had quite a special going for breakfast!  Goodness that's enough food for the entire family.  

Pat come over in his “batmobile”. Some might refer to the Polaris slingshot as a three-wheeled motorcycle, but Pat prefers to call his a bat mobile.  Pat and Justin are on a team to select a new committee boat for Windjammers.  Pat came over to look at our Bayliner and he and Justin went out for a quick day trip before we all met at Chadouirs Dock for a late lunch.  We extended an invitation to pat to join us in Mexico even though he usually spends the winters in Arizona ... anyplace except Wisconsin.