From time to time, I will have nothing interesting to post for the
week, so you will see a blog entitled "Observations." This is
your cue to either stop reading now or continue on and learn nothing of any
redeeming value. Your choice either way. J
We had so much
rain this weekend that we couldn’t do our planned "Mini Series of
Hikes." Soooo we did the next best thing, we went to IKEA. I
LOVE IKEA! Jim, not so much. In fact, he calls this store "Scandinavian
Hell." I love how the store routes you through mazes and mazes of room
settings and mock kitchen and bathroom settings so you can get lots of
decorating ideas and buy a whole lot of furniture! By the time we got out
of IKEA, Jim was not in a very good mood, so I suggested we take a tour of the
local Farmer's Market. I thought this was a brilliant idea and one that
would cheer Jim up right away. J
For some reason,
Jim wasn't really keen on going to the Farmer's Market either, but being the
good sport that he is, he agreed to go. When we got there, the shoe was
on the other foot. Jim loved the place! Not only did they have the
usual organic fruits and vegetables, but the place was filled with all kinds of memorabilia and tchotchkes from the era when Jim was a teenager. I of course didn't recognize any of it since I was but a wee baby when Jim was a teenager. J We spent hours looking at eight track
tapes..........
The market also had booths where you can get a manicure, pedicure, ear candling (yucky), etc. I suggested that Jim get a haircut
from a little Vietnamese lady cutting hair in her bare feet. For some
reason, he wasn't "feeling it." I thought she looked perfectly capable,
but he said, “She's no Twee." (Twee owns a salon in Atascocita where Jim and
lots of other neighborhood men get their hair cut). Twee has quite a following obviously.
The annual book sale was going on too, so we stocked up on books for
those looong winter days everyone keeps telling us about. We walked away with
ten hardbacks and ten paperbacks for twenty-five dollars! All in all, a pretty productive day I thought.
Okay, now for the promised “observations” mentioned in the heading of the post. Remember, these are only my observations, not
some political or religious comment on either Houston or Calgary. I love them both!
· In
Houston, you probably have a little panel on the wall that has an on/off switch
for the AC and heat, which more often than not is switched to AC. In Calgary, you
have an entire room in your basement devoted to heating and cooling your house.
· In
Houston, you have one water heater usually in the attic or the garage. In Calgary, you have three water heaters (in
that little room mentioned above.) One
for the floors, one for the washer, showers, etc. and one for…..? (Most of the stuff
in that room is a mystery to us).
· In Houston,
you DO NOT cross the street unless you look both ways, twice. In Calgary, if you are standing on the curb, just thinking about crossing the street, cars from all directions will stop
until you are safely across...all the
while smiling happily like they have no where they need
to be. This of course is very bad practice for retiring in Ecuador where drivers will mow you down like a bad weed.
· In
Houston, you will get mediocre customer service some of the time.
In Calgary, people will go out of their way to help you. Case at hand: we have had the security alarm
guy at our house four times now. We are
on a first name basis, with Harold, who called yesterday just to see if the alarm had gone off
in the middle of the night AGAIN! (Like it has three times already....another story for another blog.)
· In
Houston, we can play twilight golf for $11 a player, year ‘round. In Calgary, people will pay ungodly amounts
of money to play golf for three months of the year. Supply and Demand, I guess.
I could go on, but why should I?
Come visit us and see for yourself.
J
The kids are coming for Jim’s birthday next week! I’ll have lots and lots of pictures to post
and you won’t be subjected to my usual drivel.
Have a happy Fourth of July, Mi Amigos!
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Our bounty from the book sale! We sure need to fill up those book shelves! |
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