Wearing a Mask

I left San Miguel four weeks ago and I never thought I would be wearing a mask four weeks later but a lot of things have happened in those four weeks that are beyond anything I could have imagined. Looking back, how naive I was.

I understood that the coronavirus was going to affect many people and that medical systems would be  stressed but I thought that the United States could handle the virus better than Mexico. So I could go to Houston, get an apartment for six months. The complex where Ned and I had lived for two years was next door to an HEB, Krogers and Walgreens were across the street. When I arrived I was renting a car for a week to gather up what I needed for an apartment and then I wouldn't need a car. I could walk and if I wanted to go somewhere too far to walk, I'd get an Uber. Within about one day after arriving in Houston it dawned on me that "staying in place," or isolation, or quarantine, or whatever you want to call it was happening NOW. There was no time to settle-in. There was no time to see most of my family. So, I look forward to talking with them and long to hug them.

Services like Instacart, Curbside pickup, Whole Foods, Krogers, and HEB delivery all sound great but the demand is so huge that the delivery times are out about 10 days and they are so overloaded that the 20 items you ordered may be down to 10 items available when they are delivered. Although if I walk to the grocery store I can find the things I ordered except for cleaning supplies, toilet paper and paper towels.  Toilet paper can sometimes be found but I have not seen paper towels since the day after I arrived. Thank God, there is no shortage of food.

Naive? Yes! A few months in Houston. The emergency would be over. I'd go home but everyday brings more knowledge about this disease. To get it fully under control, we need a vaccine and that is probably 18 months down the road.

Although this is a rather stylish one that a friend brought to me, I hope that wearing a mask doesn't become the new normal.

Christmas in August?



Nope, this is not a picture from 2013. I shot this at Costco last week, August 28, 2014. It is a good four months until Christmas! Okay so maybe the retailers want to encourage us to purchase our Christmas decorations now so that in November we will have more money to spend on gifts. There were two aisles of Christmas stuff. And some of that stuff isn't even a part of the way that Mexico traditionally celebrates Christmas. It isn't suppose to be Santa bearing gifts! In Mexico the three wise men bring the children gifts.

Other than my irritation with the Christmas stuff, the trip to Costco was good. I love the independence that I have with Lola. If the housekeeper tells me on Tuesday that she is low on some cleaning product, I can plan a trip the next day and have her a new "five-gallon bottle" when she comes again on Thursday. I also like being able to drive to Mega when I want grapefruits, a melon, a bag of sugar.....you know the heavy stuff. Then it is a pleasure to shop in the mercados for the daily vegetables that I need.

Back to the Christmas thing. I'm sure that Costco in the US is already stocking their aisles with Christmas stuff as well. But it is too damn early in my opinion. We have other celebrations before Christmas: The San Miguel Festival at the end of September, Day of the Dead at the end of October and for me, a trip to Texas to see family and celebrate Thanksgiving. Christmas in August? No thanks. I'll wait until December.

A Life Style Center

Antea, Queretaro's new commercial development is not a Mall, not a Shopping Center, it is named a Life Style Center. It is suppose to be the largest in Mexico and the second largest in Latin America of whatever you may wish to call it. I will probably always call it a Mall.

I had seen the list of all the stores that would be in it eventually and I had been hearing more and more reports from friends who have been although it is only about three-fourths completed. Crate and Barrel looks like it will open before too long but the other big anchor store, Palacio de Hierro (think Harrod's in London) looks like it is months away from being customer ready. Nevertheless, when I had an invitation from Margo to go with her, I said, yes.

Antea is actually located on this side of Queretaro, just past the Superama on  Highway 57. I use to think the Superama was way outside of Queretaro but not anymore. It is pretty much surrounded by housing developments now. Theoretically, coming from San Miguel the Mall should be easy to get to but it isn't. There is a lot of work on Highway 57 through that area and some exits are closed. Also there is not any signage that gives you a hint of where to get off the highway. I didn't see a big sign that said Antea. Maybe when all the stores are open there will be more signs. You just need to be looking for this clump of buildings and hope you have gotten off in time to enter the parking lot. If you haven't, too bad. There isn't a nearby overpass or anyway to circle around and come back to the Mall without going a long way or making a few very creative and unintuitive turns. But I'm sure that over time that will change. In the meantime, it will be one of those mental agility tests that is suppose to be good for our older brains.

Okay, let me just say it right out, I like Antea Life Style Center. It isn't a covered mall and the landscaping and water features are really lovely. There are a lot of off-shoots from the main hall which makes for interesting walking but might take me a time or two to get my bearings. All the stores do not seem to be made for 20 somethings. There are actually things I would buy. The stores are well laid out and merchandized. And, something I do not often see in Mexican stores except for maybe one rack of clothes, SALES! Yes in that photo with the red coat it is a 50% discount. The sales people were well trained and knew their merchandise. There was a food court with the usual kinds of fast food but there were several nice restaurants also. Liverpool had a fabulous food court in the store on the fourth floor with all kinds of food counters, drinks and wine.

Sometimes I choke on the price of things in Mexico because the price is more than what I figure to be an additional 15-17% import fee if it comes from another country but I am really amazed when goods that are made in Mexico are just as high or higher. I don't think that difference is going to the average worker in Mexico. However, in a lot of the stores the prices were a little more than what I might pay at Bed, Bath and Beyond or Macy's in Houston but not so much that if I needed the item I'd do without it. And in the gourmet area of Liverpool, I found the imported gourmet items like red quinoa or some US salad dressings or preserves to be less than I would pay for them in San Miguel.

I have some suggestions for Antea, put up signage for bathrooms. Get site maps in some strategic locations to help people find their way around the mall.

Oh, another thing, they have started charging for parking. We were there about four hours and the cost was 50 pesos. You have to pay at an automatic machine just outside the entrance, not at the gate as you exit. We found out the hard way.

I'm glad to have Antea and I hope it does well. All and all, life in San Miguel just gets easier and better and better.

I Never Thought I Would See the Day.....

I've had my house for 12 years and I never thought I would see the day when I could go on line and order from Amazon and have it show up at my door but it has happened.

I needed a travel tripod that would fit in my suitcase and not weigh too much. I have a tripod I love but it is too long and too heavy for the current luggage restrictions on airplanes. I was on line looking at tripods, thinking that I'd have to have it shipped to one of the services that brings stuff across the border when I noticed that Amazon said that the tripod was available for global shipping. Whoa! Would this be cheaper and/or faster than the local services I had used in the past? I decided to give it a try.

I placed my order on the afternoon of January 26th
The tripod shipped on January 27
January 28 it arrived in Mexico City
January 29 it left Mexico City
January 30 at 2:30 PM UPS rang my doorbell.

I paid about 10% of the cost of the item for shipping and handling but that will vary based on the size and weight of what you are ordering.

I did not have to pay any sales tax since it was being shipped outside of the USA. That saved me about 8.75% of Texas sales tax which just about did away with the cost of shipping and handling.

And then the cost to clear customs was about 18%. A little more than the usual 16 or 17%  but maybe there are brokers involved.

I am amazed. I never thought I would be able to order from Amazon and have it show up at my front door in FOUR days. Besides that I really like this colorful 15" tall tripod. Red is a good color for me.

The Lunch for the Ladies

It was time for a Ladies Luncheon at my house. I had a menu in mind so I invited The Ladies.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Bacon and Leek Tart
Grilled Asparagus
Roasted Tomatoes
Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with Hot Fudge Sauce

The menu wasn't a difficult menu. It was recipes I had cooked before but the preparation turned out to be a little difficult.

I've written before about how the best laid plans can go awry when you have a menu in mind here in SMA but you can't find the ingredients when you need them. That happened. I started gathering supplies early so that I could readjust if I needed to. I bought the cheese, tomatoes and the stuff for the ice cream early in the week. And while I was shopping I stopped at the oil and vinegar store to buy a wedding gift. I found a raspberry balsamic vinegar and the information about it said it was great drizzled over premium ice cream. Well, my homemade ice cream is definitely premium...at least in my opinion. So I decided to use it instead of the Hot Fudge Sauce.

It was the end of asparagus season. Actually past the end. I knew that, so my fall back plan for the asparagus was a salad. Two of the ladies said they would shop for asparagus for me since I was having a hard time finding any that looked okay. I told one of them if they saw haricot verts at Costco I could use them. So I ended up with asparagus and haricot verts and dumped the idea of the salad. I substituted the haricot verts for asparagus and split the asparagus with my friend who bought it.

Every time I pass by the veggie man at Espinos he has leeks. He had leeks on Tuesday but when I wanted to buy them on Wednesday, he didn't have leeks. He assured me he would have them Thursday. He did not have them Thursday although he assured me that they would be there soon, like 15 minutes. Mmmm....my inner voice was saying don't wait. I hopped into a taxi and headed to Mega. Thank goodness they had some great looking leeks.

Now it is time to cook. I've made the bacon and leek tart a number of times and although I'm not good with crusts that savory tart crust recipe has always worked so well. Not this time. It was a mess with cracks across the bottom. But at this point I had to go with it. Then I made the filling. I'm making two tarts so I need to double the filling. I doubled the bacon, leeks and cheese but with the custard I only made one recipe. This didn't dawn on me until it was already in the oven cooking.

Well, the bottom line is the Tart was okay. The Ladies liked the lunch. They thought it was colorful on the plate. And the ice cream with the raspberry balsamic vinegar drizzled on top was a big hit.

The best thing about the luncheon was the conversation. Mexican politics. US politics. Real Estate...you always talk about real estate in SMA. Health and Medical Care. Travel. Yes, we covered some of the same subjects we would have at a dinner party with the husbands present but there was a difference and I can't exactly find the words to describe that difference but it was good conversation.

In spite of all my trouble putting this luncheon together, I want to do it again. Soon.

A Born Saleswoman

While I was back in Houston, I went to the Walgreen's that I use because I needed moisturizer, sun screen.....stuff like that. I had shopped in there before among the cosmetics and toiletries and had been helped by a tall woman with an Indian accent. But before, I had known what I wanted. This time I was going to check out some other products because the ones I was using were not keeping my skin moisturized in San Miguel's low, low humidity. Besides I had been using the same products for a long time. Maybe there was something better.

This time she saw me looking and reading labels so she came over to tell me that she had another product that had almost the same ingredients but it was on sale. Mmm....SALE. I like sales. I told her that I had been using the same product but I was looking for something better for the dry climate where I lived. She said that the sale product would be just perfect. I followed her to look at it. Before I knew it, I had bought eye cream, wrinkle cream, moisturizer with sun screen and a night cream AND then she sold me an exfoliating makeup remover with the money I had saved though the sale.

That afternoon my daughter-in-law, Betsy, had some friends over and we were talking. I told them about the saleswoman at Walgreen's. They all started laughing because they had similar experiences with her and they thought that she really knew her products and tried to find the best product at the best price for them. They thought she was an extraordinary saleswoman.

I would have never thought that an employee in the cosmetics at a local Walgreen's would have such a loyal following. She really was a born saleswoman.

Oh, did all the creams work? Well, my skin is definitely more moisturized. I think it is too late to help the wrinkles.

A New Tool

I was sitting on the couch with my new camera in my hand. My glasses were laying on a book on the coffee table. The book cover was a painting by Frida Kahlo and the woman seemed to be peering at me through the glasses. I adjusted the glasses just a bit and snap! It was a test for the camera, shot at 66mm, 1/5 sec. @ f/5.0 at ISO 1600. I haven't added any noise reduction in Lightroom. This digital file told me a lot about what the camera's in-body image stabilization can do as well as how it performs at higher ISOs. I have printed it at about 10x14 and the image looks good.

My new tool is an Olypmus E-PL5. I weighs about 10 ounces and with the lens it is less than one pound.

I hate to admit it but walking around all day with my big girl camera on my shoulder is just getting to be too much. I'm planning a trip and with the luggage restrictions on airplanes as well as not having Ned along as my luggage handler, I can't manage the weight or size of equipment that I have loved and carried on so many trips.

Fortunately, technology is making a lot of changes in the digital camera world. I won't bore most of you with what is happening except to say that mirrorless cameras with improved sensors and processors are making it possible to have much smaller, lighter cameras with interchangeable high quality lenses that can make images that in some cases are pushing up against the bigger DSLR camera image quality.

I'm happy with this little camera for now but it could become a backup camera to the new generation Olympus OMD E-M5 that rumors say will be announced this Fall. Yeah, I could be tempted.

Insider's Tip

On April 12 Chico's FAS, Inc. (NYSE: CHS) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.055 per share of its common stock, a 4.8% increase over the dividend rate from June 2012.

Since I arrived in Houston I've been shopping Chico's. I can definitely see the stock value going up and bigger dividends.

Just saying.....

Oops, Maybe I should talk to Martha Stewart before I post this.

The Week of the Dinner Party

The Dinner Party....this one didn't go as planned and I was trying so hard to be prepared.

Since I don't have my dinner party helper around, I've learned to start early and do as much as possible before hand. Before, I always knew I had someone who could walk to the store to get the sour cream or whatever, if I forgot it. Someone who would sweep the patio at the last minute. Someone who would dry the last minute prep dishes as I washed. Someone who would be sure we had wine, beer and ice. Well, you know a good husband.

On a Monday before the dinner party on Saturday, I started my preparation. I had a couple of ideas in mind about the menu but I needed to know what I could actually buy in the stores, like ricotta  cheese or lemons, not limes, before I settled into one of the ideas. So Monday, I walked to Mega where I found both ricotta cheese and lemons. I knew I could get everything else on my list. Now the menu was set and friends were invited.

But there was a hitch in my plans that started Wednesday evening. I was walking by the house next door on my way to dinner. Their door was open and several members of the family were standing outside the door. One of their three dogs was standing in the doorway just looking out. He was calm....just looking, but just as I passed the doorway, he jumped at me and bit my thigh. I screamed and the family came running to help me. They brought peroxide, alcohol and cotton balls to clean the wound. I had three puncture wounds. They asked me if I wanted a doctor. I said no. As soon as my shock and shakiness passed, I went on to dinner.

The next day, Thursday, was busy. I went to Yoga, I went to the bank, I went to the liquor store and bought a case of wine to be delivered on Friday. I stopped at the bakery and bought bread. I bought some tomatoes to roast and apples for a dessert for the dinner. I'm checking things off my prep list. But my leg is a little sore and a bruise is beginning to show up.

My prep plan was that on Friday, I would go buy the rest of the veggies, flowers and a couple of other things I needed. That way I could get the flowers arranged and the veggies washed. The table set, the tart crust made, the tomatoes roasted, the hummus blended. As much as possible done so that on Saturday all I would have to do is walk down to the mercado and buy my chicken and finish up the rest of the meal.

It didn't work out that way.

Just before I was ready to leave to go do my shopping on Friday, I sent an email to Norma, my House Manager, that I was about to leave the house but I would be back about 11:30 and would she please stop by to talk with me. I wanted to find out if the dogs next door had their vaccinations or not and how I should handle this situation. I've lived here 11 years but I do not understand so much about the Mexican laws or the culture. Norma is Mexican and so I wanted her advice and maybe even her help in talking to my neighbors. Ten minutes later while I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth. Norma is ringing my doorbell.

I told her my story.

She immediately called Ecologia......and there went my day. About 15 minutes after Norma left, a man from Ecologia came and asked me questions. I was mostly understanding his questions but I don't know whether anything I said in my broken Spanish/English made sense or not. He told me he was going next door to talk to the neighbors but he would be back. So now I wait. I peek out my window and I see him put the dog in a crate in the back of his truck. Finally he comes back and he tells me that they are taking the dog for observation. He gets his boss, who speaks English, on the phone and he  tells me that I have to come to Ecologia on Monday at 2:30. He gives me no time to ask questions, just be there!

The man from Ecologia leaves. Now it is almost 12 PM. I was told that the wine could be delivered between 12 and 2 on Friday. So I still can't go to the store because if I miss the delivery who knows whether or not I can get it delivered on Saturday. I'd like to call them but there is no phone number on the receipt or in the phone book. So, I wait and wait.......and wait. But while I'm waiting I do get the tomatoes roasted and the tart crust started and in the refrigerator.

Finally at almost 3 PM the delivery guy shows up. Too late to get flowers or veggies from in front of Espinos. Well maybe I can salvage some time if I go buy my chicken. I don't have a lot of time because by 5:15 I have to be ready to leave for a party. But I walk down to the San Juan de Dios Mercado. I walk to the aisle where my chicken lady is. The stall is closed and there is water all around it so she must have just closed and washed everything down. Maybe I can at least get my romaine lettuce and celery. That will help some with prep tomorrow if it is already washed. None of the stalls have any romaine and the celery is limp. I start back home and I'm getting a little stressed, actually more than a little. Then I pass another chicken store where I have bought chicken before. Ahhh....I was able to get my chicken. I rushed home, stowed the chicken and went up to shower and get ready to go to the Friday night cocktail party.

Saturday morning the maid comes. Having the maid on the day of a party is good planning isn't it? She is going to give special attention to the patio because I would like to sit in the patio a while before dinner. I'm chomping at the bit. Ready to get on with the shopping and cooking. I arrive down by Espinos about 10. The flower man has just arrived and the flowers aren't out. The veggie man isn't there at all and the olive oil store sign says it doesn't open until 11. I kill time in Cafe Monet with a hot chocolate. Finally the flower and veggie man are open but I still have to wait for the olive oil store to open.

I head home to find a message on my phone that one guest that wasn't going to be able to come now can come if I still have room. I don't think I have enough chicken but they bring me some more chicken so that doesn't turn out to be a problem. By this time the maid has left. A little norther is blowing in....as in the wind is really blowing leaves and twigs out of the tree in the patio so between the cold and the wind, there goes the plans to sit in the patio.

Since I like to try new recipes, my guests end up being my guinea pigs. The NYTs recipe I wanted to try looked so good, polenta layered with spinach and cheese then baked. Sounds good doesn't it? I tasted it while I was putting it together. It was bland. I added salt, pepper, cayenne but I never moved it beyond bland. I think that the idea of it still intrigues me but if I did it again, I'd add some cheese to the polenta and some sauteed onion to the ricotta/swiss-cheese/spinach mixture.

I guess that now you are thinking I'll tell you that the party turned out okay. Not quite! One of the guests had not felt 100% before she arrived and within an hour, before we even sat down to the table so it wasn't my food, had to call a cab to go home.

Actually, the dinner party did turn out okay. We had a lot of good conversation and just about all the food was gone except for that damn polenta dish. I still had about one-half of it.