Do-it-yourself home projects

We're proud to show off our brand spanking new desert rose porcelain tile and royal cherry laminate floors. The tab - $2000 materials and priceless labor including a doctor's visit to check Hubby's back. Thank you Tatang and nephews for your help. Moving my piano alone was a crash course in physics, not to mention the challenge of putting together a giant tile jigzaw puzzle.

Senora, M & J

Not deterred by the heat of the valley, Senora came to see me with her daughter M and grandson J before catching her flight home to Venezuela. After serving up lunch, I suggested a city walk at Universal Studios and all agreed to while away the cooling afternoon. My 6-unit Spanish course in college was below par but the smiles and signs exchanged more than made up for those that were lost in translation. M, one of my oldest friends, and her son J, my long suffering neglected godson, seemed pleased that I freed-up my week-end for them. They have to thank the gods who took away Hubby to a golf tournament.

Senora, you're a living testament of humanity's great spirit. M & J - all the best to both and hope to see you again soon. Meanwhile, I will dream of white sandy Venezuelan beaches in the not too far distant future. Here are the promised photos.

How Fragile We Are

Borrowing from the lyrics to the song “Fragile” by Sting, this year’s health crises of family members constantly remind me how fragile we are indeed.

“On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star, like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are, how fragile we are”

I am surprised how calmly I’ve been taking bad news lately. I surmise that it comes with aging as more unpleasantries trickle in than not. Now I usually go straight to positive mode and methodically make the necessary arrangements and just allow myself an acceptable level of anxiety. It’s only after the ordeal that I assess the damage to my psyche and try to recover and renew.

Thank you friends for your prayers and concern. Your kind and sincere emails are our comfort and assurance.

I raise a glass to good health. We all need it badly.

Our house in Tayum

We're excited to share the first photos of our retirement house in Tayum, Abra, Philippines - courtesy of our dear friend A.

Road to Margaritaville

Click HERE to view our pictures. Below is a narrative that I hope maybe useful to future travelers to the area.

Except for a few wrong turns in TJ and a stone that cracked our car rental windshield on our way home from Ensenada, we came home scathe-free from a 3-day road trip to Baja California. We planned our schedule carefully to beat the traffic and throngs of folks crossing the border.

July 2, Saturday

We woke up early and with breakfast-to-go, we owned the southbound drive. We made a stop in Balboa Park to stretch our legs and smell the flowers. When we got our fill of the place and the usual endless pictures, we proceeded to park our car at an airport parking then took the trolley to the border. Upon entering TJ thru the turnstile, we phoned the rental place (the phone booth accepts US coins) and we were picked up from the border station. We drove off in a 4-door VW Jetta (pride of Mexico – yes they assemble them there). On a side note, Mexican car insurance is a must because US car insurance policies don’t apply. Much to our relief, we didn’t pay for the cracked windshield.

We got directions to the scenic road 1 and after paying 2 tolls of $2.35 each, we stopped in Puerto Nuevo which we now call Lobsterville. (We’ve been to Rosarito Beach by bus years ago so we did not bother to stop there anymore). A siesta would have been great after lunch but we did not want to waste time so we went back to the highway towards Ensenada. We were rewarded with breathtaking views of the Mexican Pacific Ocean dotted with colorful houses and resorts as we drove on a well-maintained highway. Not long after we paid another toll of $2.35, we knew we were already in Ensenada driving on Boulevard Costero as we heard lively music, saw crowds in the shops and bars, cars cruising and at least 2 cruise ships docked at the harbor. After checking-in, we drove around town and browsed the shops until we settled to a seafood dinner at a highly recommended local favorite.

July 3, Sunday

Since we opted out the nightlife and bar scene (we now call it Margaritaville; also, Hubby chose Cuban cigars over a wet t-shirt contest), we woke up all fresh and ready to go. Our concierge directed us to a nearby church where we heard mass in Spanish. Afterwhich we went on a buffet brunch thinking we should fill up for an out of town trip to La Bufadora. The drive wasn’t very far except that we got held up at a police checkpoint which was good because as soon as we arrived there, we realized it was another place to get boozed up too. Unfortunately, the low tide only showed us a few sprays from the blowhole but the ocean view made up for the trip along with the chilled drink of coconut water and young coconut meat eaten with lime. Heading back to town was easier with less traffic so we decided to visit the oldest winery only to find out it was closed. We just milled around with the crowd and headed back to the shops and an early chicken supper. We also had plenty of time to visit the Riviera Del Pacifico Cultural and Convention Center.

July 4, Monday

Since we saw mostly California plates cruising around town, we thought of a head start before everyone was sober enough to drive home. The morning drive was uneventful except for the little excitement we got from the stone cracked windshield. We worried a little of being pulled over by police because of it and debated if we bought enough insurance coverage. As we cruised past foggy mountains and calm ocean waters along traffic-free highway, we decided to come back in our truck to buy a fountain for our backyard. Missing our exit set us back at least a good hour as we drove around TJ until Hubby finally remembered a landmark around a rotunda which brought us back to the car rental office. The line to the US customs and immigration went fast and we were again on the trolley back to our car. We heard that the southbound freeway was closed due to an accident earlier but we didn’t encounter any problems northbound. We were rested by the time the Boston Pops played with a fireworks display. From our house we were surprised to see at least 4 fireworks display from nearby sites. It was the first time in 6 years that we stayed home to watch the fireworks.