Monday 1st April 2013……Rabbits. rabbits, rabbits!!!

WOW where did the month of March go??

Well guess who is back in the Pearson clan???

I went by to take a look at Ramona yesterday at the new owner’s driveway and was shocked to see she was up for sale!!!!

I knocked on their door and they invited me in and told me due to some personal stuff they had to put Ramona on the market and she was listed at a lot less money than I sold her for…….I left came home and thought about it and went back about an hour later and closed the deal…Ramona is back!!!! 

Now I have to figure out how to get back to LA do I fly or drive my baby!!!

Never a dull moment in the Pearson family!!!

Sunday 31st march 2013……Day 18!!!!

happy Easter Sunday to everyone out there…be safe and have a wonderful day!!!

 

Heather was cooking for 15 so most of the day was spent in the kitchen and I played a very small part

Alex works at a local sports store and he offered for me to come to the store to buy some things and he would get me the store discount…so I was happy to take him up on his kind offer and I returned with a great pair of walking shoes, neat tennis shoes, a new pair of crocks and 7 pairs of socks……at a really bargain price thanks Al!!!!

 

I asked Heather after lunch if there was anything she needed help with and she said no so I took advantage of the weather again!!!

That is a great phot5o of Boomer!!!

So around 6pm table set

and the boys are feeding!!

Zach, Alex and Mr.P!!!!

It was such a wonderful meal, great company and a fabulous time thank you so very much!!!!!

I have just come back from taking Boomer for a walk and it is 10.30pm…blessings to all!

Saturday 30th March 2013….Day 17!!!

One of the strange things is that the Cable TV that I get in SMA is the same cable here so the same shows so being as it was Saturday morning you know what that means???    Soccer from England…so I watched a great game while Heather made a wonderful breakfast but still not getting that fresh squeezed OJ!!!!!!!!.

After the game I went into town to buy some tickets for a concert…you will have to wait a few days to see what concert but it will rock you!!!!!

On the way stopped and took some photos for you of this lovely city!!

Modesty almost forbids me from telling you this but last year in honor of all the years I spent working in the restaurant and wearing my shorts and thrilling the female customers the city honored me by naming a small park after me!!!!!

I then stopped by and took a photo of my old condo…I bought it in 2000 for $65,000.00 and sold it 6 years later for $165,000.00…sweet!!

X was my place!!

 

I also have to tell you that my toe is just doing great  the pain has gone and it feels so good.

Also want to tell you that since I arrived the weather has been so wonderful I even managed about 2 hours sunbathing this afternoon!!!

 

 

warning!!!!!!

the following photo contains scenes of partial nudity  only females over 55 years of age advised to look!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tonight after supper watched a hockey game and another lovely day ends!!!!

 

Yashi Koshi!!!

Friday 29th March 2013….Day 16!!!

I would like to wish all my readers a very happy, safe, healthy and joyous Easter Weekend!!!

Woke up just before 8 am and these shots are taken whilst I am still in bed…

There are many sea lions out feeding just below the property line and when I open my bedroom balcony door the screeching from these critters is so loud and so neat……..I am still waiting for my fresh squeezed orange juice Heather!!!!!

Kidding aside pancakes for breakfast and then Heather and I took Boomer

to the off leash dog park where he ran himself silly!!!!

Came home and did some computer work to get my tax forms downloaded from the computer as Kirby has so kindly offered to do my income tax return again….by the time I came out of the shower he had it finished with more great news that I shall be getting a really nice refund!!!!!

This is the view of the house and my room looking back…..not a bad little casita is it???

This is Little Bluey’s sister Pili……

I then went to Karen’s house for lunch and a visit….I have know Karen since I first arrived in the Island in 1993 and she is a special and dear friend and we had lots to catch up on…great to see you again and thank you for lunch and also for my pressies….I will look even more gorgeous now!!!

Home in time to shower and go to visit another good friend Inga!!!

Stopped at Shack Island to take these

Inga cooked a lovely supper with all my favorite food and promptly gave me a royal thumping in Crib and Canasta…my first time playing canasta though!!!

So ends another day on this beautiful Island…

Yashi Koshi!!

Thursday 28th March 2013…Day 15!!!

Had a good sleep but was wide awake at 5am so I got out some forms that I needed to fill out, hopefully these are the last of the forms that I need to submit for both my pension from England and also Canada..did those and then went back to sleep till around 8am….what a treat for me to wake up just turn my head and I see ocean and snow covered peaks..am I spoiled or what??

Today was going to be a busy day and it started with Heather dropping me of at 9.15 am at my Doctor’s office…I have a really wonderful, caring and great Doctor and I had got Heather to book me an appointment for my yearly check up…proud to tell you that I weigh 175 pounds the same weight I was when I was 21 years old!!!!!  BUT I have shrunk 2 inches I was always 6 foot now a couple of inches shorter over the years.  Dr Vaughn gave me a thorough check up and he told me the most important thing at my age is blood pressure and he was very happy to tell me that mine was excellent and he also told me that I was in really good shape…I was so happy with this news I shall just go for blood tests on Monday……just to let you know there was no charge for this visit!!

Heather picked me up and we then drove about 45 minutes to the town of Duncan which is known as the town of many totem poles

 

…it also is the town where Sara lives and it is also the town where a good Podiatrist works and Heather also had made an appointment for me with him. I went to him years ago and liked him and although I have not mentioned it here my big toe has been causing me trouble for months I did go and see someone in SMA but the treatment did not work…..the Doctor is great but he looks like someone’s Grand Dad and his equipment he keeps in a fishing box…..he actually remembered me and looked at my toe with this huge callous and told me it needs to come off , the callous not the toe!!!

He froze the toe got out his scalpel and cut the offending part away…he said it was deep and a big one…..I did not feel a thing.  He then talked about what I could do apart from surgery and he gave me some special tape to put on my toe and also some soft sponge strips……I was in and out in 10 minutes and because I get some of the treatment covered by BC medical my cost was $20…I was amazed!!!!  I also have to tell you that now my toe feels so much better, the pain has gone and the special sponge cover he gave me I wore all day and it felt perfect…a good day so far!!!

We then stopped for some lunch and then came home where I made some calls and accomplished all that I needed to do…..

Heather and I then went to pick up Zach from school and we drove him to Comox where he was scheduled for a golf lesson

…Zach is almost 17 years of age and his a phenom golfer….golf is his complete passion and he is gifted and hopes to pursue his dreams of getting his education paid for through golf……while he had his lesson Heather and I went to Costco and then after the lesson Heather treated us to supper..thank you so much….

Tonight we all watched the hockey game on TV

So really a great day for me to know my health is wonderful…my toe problem fixed…..letters sent away….I even managed to buy on line a ticket for a big event next weekend but you will just have to wait and see what that is……So day one on the bank was special.

Top pin is Comox and the bottom pin Duncan!!

Pura Vida

Wednesday 27th march 2013……Day 14 part 2!!!!

So nothing eventful happened in the morning Jackie made a wonderful breakfast and we sat and chatted and then she kindly drove me to the Mexican Consulate which is downtown Vancouver on the way according to Jackie we pass the infamous corner which is famed to be the worst corner in Canada…

Many sad homeless and addicted people but it is safe to walk these streets!!

Jackie dropped me right outside the Consulate

I was in plenty of time for for scheduled 12 noon appointment.

I think I was expecting a flurry of activity and commotion but I was the only person there and it was very personal…I went to the window and carefully handed over all the documentation that I needed…I had studied the list over and over and I was sure I had everything I needed…..the correct size black and white photo, the photo copy of my passport, my passport and bank statement for the last year showing that I had an income of over 99000 dollars…..these I handed to the lady and that is when the problem arose….I had gotten the right bank statement, originals and copies dating from January 2012 to December 2012…all duly authorized…but the lady is telling me they need the documents for the last year meaning I needed to have this year’s January and February statements and signed copies……I panicked for a second asked them what time they closed and they said in one hour….I asked if I could leave my suitcase and out of the building I dashed.  I hailed the first cab and asked him to take me to the nearest TD Canada trust bank which was about 6 blocks away…..in the branch I asked for assistance but they told me I needed to go to TD Canada Trust Waterhouse the investment brokerage branch…OK where is it…3 blocks away..so I quickly walked there and went in an explained my dilemma and this lovely young lady asked me to come in to her office and after showing my identification she immediately pulled up my accounts and printed off what I needed..perfect many thanks and I was out of there..hailed another cab and about 20 minutes later I was back at the Consulate.

Handed in these documents, I was fingerprinted and photographed and asked to wait for my interview with the Consular!!!!  That took me for a little loop I never thought there would be like an interview….anyway a few minutes I was called into the office and he was a young and very friendly Consular…I explained in my best Spanish that I did not speak too well but I practice every day and I was sorry…he smiled and said “I appreciate that you try we can talk in English”.

He asked me why I had chosen Mexico to live, where I was going and some back ground questions…..he was a really kind man and about 5 minutes he stood up and shook my hand and told me he would be happy to give me the visa!!!

I thanked him and went back to the original lady and paid a fee of 38 dollars and told I could come back in 24 hours and pick up my passport with the visa!!!!

So now I really am the MEXICOKID!!!!!!    I am thrilled and proud to be  a visa holder and temporary resident of Mexico.

I walked about 4 blocks and then got on a bus that took me to the ferry terminal about 15 minutes away….again a senior rate of $2.75……

It really has proved to be an easy city to get around….I paid $15.00 dollars for the ferry in May when I turn that certain year I will get free ferry rides during the week!

I was hungry so went to a restaurant in the bay for a snack and this was taken out of the window!!

The ferry left on time at 3pm

Nanaimo!!!

I have done this

many times around this head land

The harbor…

At 4.45pm we pulled into the harbor in Nanaimo and lovely Heather was there to greet me.

A little bit of history about my Family on the Bank!!!

About 9 years ago when I was working as a caregiver with Roy I was approached by Heather to see if I could spend some time with her father in law, Ken…and I did..after Roy passed away I spent much more time with Ken he was  a wonderful, kind, gentle happy soul troubled with memory and other issues….we spent hours together and he was a joy to be with…I even stayed with him full time for a month whilst the family went on a month’s long motor home tour of Canada….So Ken’s son, Kirby, Heather his wonderful wife, and their three kids Ben, Alex and Zach and been a huge part of my life and about 4 years ago they sat me down and told me that when ever I was in Nanaimo my room in their incredible waterfront home was in fact my room…so for these past few years this has been my home base and I feel so honored and blessed to have been with the family…… be a part of watching the boys grow into fine young men…. as part of the family…..their street name is Waldbank..so now you know when I say my Family on the bank the rest of the story!!!

My room on the Bank!!

The view from my room!!!

closer view from my room.

.

The whale tail shape is hundreds of birds feeding on herring!!

It was great to see Kirby and the boys again and Heather cooked a wonderful meal

 

 

 

 

and of course Boomer had missed me too!!!!

and the evening was filled with stories and catching up…Great to be HOME!!!!

Yashi Koshi!!

Wednesday 27th March 2013…….Day 14 part 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to pass on my sympathies to the family of a man I met years ago Roger, who passed away yesterday…Roger and his lovely wife Alice stayed in my condo one winter when I was in Mexico…he was a lovely man….blessings to the family!!

Had a great sleep and the sun is shining but it looks a bit cold…I feel like I am back in Mexico my lovely host Jackie just brought me a fresh squeezed orange juice!!!

I have a leisurely morning and then Jackie is going to drive me downtown to the Mexican consulate where I have a 12 noon appointment.  I am pretty sure I will not get the visa today and that I shall have to return next week for it.  After the appointment I shall take a bus out to the ferry terminal for the trip over to the Island where Heather is going to pick me up……so more tonight.

 

Thanks Inga for the morning smile!!

On being a SENIOR!!!!

.

Question: How many days in a week?
Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday.
Question: When is a retiree's bedtime?
Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.

Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb?
Answer: Only one, but it might take all day.
Question: What's the biggest gripe of retirees?
Answer: There is not enough time to get everything done.

Question: Why don't retirees mind being called Seniors?
Answer: The term comes with a 10% discount.
Question: Among retirees what is considered formal attire?
Answer: Tied shoes.
Question: Why do retirees count pennies?
Answer: They are the only ones who have the time.
Question: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire?
Answer: NUTS!

Question: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic or garage?
Answer: They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there.
Question: What do retirees call a long lunch?
Answer: Normal .

Question: What is the best way to describe retirement?
Answer: The never ending Coffee Break.

Question: What's the biggest advantage of going back to school as a retiree?
Answer: If you cut classes, no one calls your parents.

Question: Why does a retiree often say he doesn't miss work, but misses the people he used to work with?
Answer: He is too polite to tell the whole truth.
And, my very favorite....
QUESTION: What do you do all week?
Answer: Monday through Friday, NOTHING..... Saturday & Sunday, I rest.

SERENITY

Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to the very elderly widow and asked,
'How old was your husband?' '98,' she replied.
'Two years older than me'
'So you're 96,' the undertaker commented.
She responded, 'Hardly worth going home, is it?

Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman:
'And what do you think is the best thing
about being 104?' the reporter asked.
She simply replied, 'No peer pressure.'

The nice thing about being senile is
you can hide your own Easter eggs.

I've sure gotten old!
I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement,
new knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes.
I'm half blind,
can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine,
take 40 different medications that
make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts.
Have bouts with dementia.
Have poor circulation;
hardly feel my hands and feet anymore.
Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92.
Have lost all my friends. But, thank God,
I still have my driver's license.

I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape,
so I got my doctor's permission to
join a fitness club and start exercising.
I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors.
I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But,
by the time I got my leotards on,
the class was over.

An elderly woman decided to prepare her will and
told her preacher she had two final requests.
First, she wanted to be cremated, and second,
she wanted her ashes scattered over Wal-Mart.
'Wal-Mart?' the preacher exclaimed.
'Why Wal-Mart?'
'Then I'll be sure my daughters visit me twice a week'.

My memory's not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

Know how to prevent sagging?
Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.
It's scary when you start making the same noises
as your coffee maker.

These days about half the stuff
in my shopping cart says,
'For fast relief.'
THE SENILITY PRAYER :
Grant me the senility to forget the people
I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do, and
the eyesight to tell the difference.


Always Remember This:
You don't stop laughing because you grow old,
You grow old because you stop laughing

The journey so far!!!

I don’t have the art of cut and paste and paint mastered yet and how to make changes so this is my route so far but you have to ignore the blue line on the right hand side from 2 go across to 3….I am open to lessons and advice…hope you have a great day!!!  Les

Tuesday 26th march 2013….Day 13!!!

I went with Pauline and Ashley this morning at 8.30am to drop Ash off at the tennis facility and then Pauline drove me to the airport and I got there around 9.15am….it was a smooth job to check in except for the shock that I found out I had to pay 25 dollars for my checked bag…I guess I should have read the small print…at the check in they told me the flight was over booked and was I willing to take a later flight and they would credit me with a coupon for 200 dollars…I would have been willing to do this except the flight they were going to put me on would not leave till 4.30pm and it would mess up the whole plan but it was a thought!!

United was my carrier for the first leg of the journey…

just over 2 hours later we were touching down in Portland, Oregon where there was a 2 hour wait which was fine as I walked the airport and grabbed a muffin and my next flight left at 3.45pm…have not been on one of these planes for a while!!!

Just over one hour and around 5pm I was back in Canada at Vancouver.

I had booked another room for one night through the airbnb site and it was down town Vancouver and my hostess Jackie had given me directions to get to her home…so first after clearing customs(NO HASSLES!!!!) and getting my bag walked out the building up 2 elevators and onto Sky Train…even got the old folks price of $7.50!!!!

A really smooth ride and 15 minutes later I am down town Vancouver I hopped in a cab and 8 dollars later I was at Jackie's lovely home…my room is great

All the small special touches and after I went out a few blocks and ate at a Chinese restaurant came home had a lovely hot bath Jackie invited to sit and watch the hockey with her and she made tea…all so nice and did I mention the price for the night 50 dollars…..and Jackie is going to drive me to the Consulate tomorrow!!!

So a really easy travel day and it feels good to be on Canadian soil!!!

Pura Vida!!