Thursday 30th September 2021....hiccup...

What does “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” mean?

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade” means to change the worst situation into best, it’s an expression used for motivation and to accept the challenges of life. The idiom stresses to be optimistic and to accept or face the challenges of life. The lemons symbolize bitterness and negativity, and to make lemonade is to change the negative into positive.

The origin of “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”

The origin of this phrase is related to the bitterness of lemon, and generally lemon is the bitterest citrus fruit so that’s why it gives us a negative connotation in English language. This idiom encourages one to be optimistic in the face of hardship by implying that if life throws you a curveball or bad luck, try to turn it into something constructive or beneficial.

I had a minor case of this today....

I was on the road by 7am and saw something I rarely see, a sunrise....

Just around 9am I was at the border and I stopped at the little roadside booth and successfully returned my car permit, which expires today and then drove about 200 yards to the office where I was planning to get my new permit and be on my way........not so fast kiddo!!!!!!

There was no one in line at the window and the young lady behind the glass spoke no English and she was very kind and after examining my documents and copies which I was very methodical to have ready for her.

After a few minutes she came back to the window and spoke to me in Spanish, I obviously did not fully understand but I did know she was telling there was a problem and she could not issue me a new permit until tomorrow .

I called my facilitator in SMA and I handed the phone to the agent so she could speak to Jessica .....after a few minutes Jessica told me that the problem was my new visa was issued on the 28 th September but it actually does not come in effect till 1 st October and the lady cannot enter any details in the computer until tomorrow.

So now I have a car that has no permit and I need to find a hotel and come back in the morning.....Jessica told me not to worry as I could drive the car within 26 km of the border without a permit....

The other problem is that I was out in the boonies with nothing around and this area is advertised as being unsafe.....hence the lemonade!!!

I tend not to panic and to be calm in situations like this perhaps my police experience may have something to do with my attitude.

Anyway I made my way into centro of Nuevo Laredo and then found the hotel zone.....I toured around a bit and selected a hotel that I had actually stayed in years ago when I came to pick Carolyn up.

The hotel is really nice, safe, with a watchman, my room has a fridge and microwave and is very close to the mall and the HEB grocery store, where I went this afternoon for a walk and picked up a few things.

So all is well and tomorrow I shall be at the same border window seeing the young lady and hopefully leave with my permit....then continue to do what I was going to do today.

One downside is that I could be out about 65 dollars because the room I booked for tonight in Saltrillo has a no refund policy but I emailed the hotel explained my situation and asked if they would honour my booking and change it till tomorrow night...who knows?

Life in Mexico is wonderful!!

I had a lazy evening until I went to the small gym and ride the bike for 30 minutes....

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!

Tuesday 28th September 2021...yes

Mission accomplished....I received my three year visa this afternoon.......leave mañana for the border.........

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Monday 27 th September 2021...dog day!!

Lilly comes on Monday mornings so after I clean up for her arrival to clean the casita I leave.

I haven’t seen Gracies dogs for a few weeks now so I went and picked them up and we went for a three hour hike...

Down by the river and they loved it and were so well behaved!!!

Next dropped Blaze off at the Spa for her weekly clean...

Finished and resting in the garage......

Last item on my agenda was walking Frida which is always a pleasure ...

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Sunday 26 th September 2021..one of the nice things

About writing my blog is that on a slow day like today I can go back to the archives and see what I did at any year I choose......

This is my blog from ten years ago today, enjoy I hope.....I did!!

Monday, September 26, 2011

Monday 26th September 2011…..a bit of everything!!

Woke up to brilliant sunshine and had a great slow and easy breakfast and read a newspaper…I didn’t realize until this morning tha tI think I was a just the tiniest bit run down yesterday and driving those Interstates didn’t help….so I checked myself into Dr.Pearson’s clinic and was given a prescription of total rest, sun and spend some money!!!

I decided that I would not drive anywhere today except to this huge Mall.

New Hampshire means no sales tax so I decided to treat myself I have been thinking of an I TOUCH or an I PAD, and sorry Rob, but I choose the I TOUCH…..for reasons too many to get into ..so I went to Best Buy and got an 8GB for a total cost of $199 dollars…now if only I can find a kid to give me some lessons…will have fun messing with it anyway!!!

Then treated myself to the real CROCS!!!

I then spent the afternoon in the sun reading, sleeping and thinking quite a bit…..

I have come a long way since June and it has been really a journey I shall never forget…I have seen the most lovely sights and met people who have impacted my life and are now good friends!!!

I am getting excited of course about the cruise and then I reflect back…so should give you some history…

Go back to Sheffield England I am 21 years of age and a Police Officer for 5 years living on my own, family close by but really nothing to get excited about in my future..until I read a Police Magazine and the advert for wanting Policemen in Bermuda…so I went home found out where Bermuda is…do you really know where it is…I was surprised!!

600 miles of the coast of Carolina…anyway 6 weeks to the day that I sent a letter to them I was in Bermuda…April 1970!!!

I had 10 years there and really enjoyed it all…playing all sports, travelling, lots of cash, a great life style, an MGB sports car and then in 1979 I met Connie!!!!!

The following year in May of 1980 we married and with her two small daughters emigrated to Canada to a small town in Alberta where her brother sponsored us…but that is for another time!!

So I had 10 years on the Island and I am so looking forward to going back!!!

My new friend Jen, who I surfed with in Halifax has put me in touch with one of her friends, Glenn and his family, they live on the outskirts of Boston and have so kindly offered to put Ramona up for the week I am gone off on the cruise, they also are going to lend me a suitcase…so again the kindness of people follows me!!!

So back to today I spent the afternoon reading and snoozing, eating and drinking..now in MacDonald's sending this then it is supper and a shower and I am going to spend the night where I am and head towards Boston tomorrow.

I have studied train schedules and I think I have found the answer to seeing the city…plan is to park a little way out at a small town and get the train into the city for the day..I think this will be Wednesday……

So a little down but now back to my normal old smiling self…..thanks for all the e mails I do really appreciate them…blessings Les.

Saturday 25 th September 2021....lots of exercise today!!

On the way to tennis this morning at the local church a baptism ceremony was going to happen!!

For  today’s tennis we were a player short so last night I recruited a young lady, Sara, to play with us...she had just graduated college and was on the tennis team, is 23 year and just a lovely young lady who could play tennis.

Needless to say we three old men were each trying our hardest to impress Sara and needless to see we all failed miserably......we did have fun and when you play against someone better it elevates your game...we all had a good time.

I decided to do a hike I have not done in years and I picked the perfect day, enjoy the photos......

it was a great hike.

I got back in time to take Frida for a walk she was really good today!,

this is my first ever attempt at browning anything and this was taken last Saturday..

A week later!!

Now going to watch a soccer game I recorded earlier from England...

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Friday 24 th September 2021....delivery day!!

Friday is delivery day and with Lynne still away

I recruited my great friends Teri and Mike to come help shop for the fresh fruit and veggies and then we met up with Reyes and went out to the campo Morelos.

We have not been out for three weeks because the roads were impassable so the villagers were very happy to see

We delivered 30 boxes of essential food and fresh produce and also we get many donations of clothing so each family get a little of each...

The lovely old lady in the photo wasted no time in putting her beautiful shawl around her shoulders and was thrilled when I told her how bonita she looked.

Teri and Mike were a huge help......

The little girl is standing on the new patio of their home where we delivered two bags of cement last visit.

Our last stop we had a line up........

The photo with the family with the wheel barrow is of the family that live out by the dumpsters in Los Rodriguez ......

Everyone was happy to get some little treats and food and we are beginning to learn their names and the kids always give us high fives!!

A humbling and inspiring day!!

Maybe I took a wrong turn on the way home...

Many thanks to all who donate money and clothing and other items perhaps you might recognize some of your clothes being handed out.

This evening I met with my young student Vanessa..this time we did something different..I had to pick up a couple of donations so I took her with me and she met two couples with different accents and she was totally comfortably meeting new people.....

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Thursday 23 rd September 2021..Hiccup!!

Another great two hours on the courts somehow makes my day when it starts with 🎾!!!

The story is a little complicated so I will do my best to explain.

I have a Temporary Resident visa which allows me to stay in Mexico for up to 4 years.....it is first issued for one year then I have to re new it here locally for the remaining three years.

I hire a facilitator to help with the process and although it costs a little well worth it.....my appointment to renew my visa was this afternoon and I met Jessica at Immigration...she had all the paper work done and I waited only a couple of minutes before we went into the little booth...after a few minutes of thoroughly checking the paper work the officer said there was a problem.....she pointed out that in my passport my city of birth is listed as Doncaster England but on my application it is listed as Yorkshire England, which is the country where Doncaster is located, because of this I was not able to get my Visa extended and I now have an appointment on Monday.

These kinds of little mistakes happen and it does not bother me at all I take it all in my stride and will go back on Monday and get my visa!!

Now to the car...this is a different set of problems......I am allowed to get the permit for the car also for four years with the same process.

When I returned into Mexico in  May with my car I was issued a permit which expires and as above I need to renew that locally and have it tied into my residency visa and then I am good for four years.

This problem arose when I went to renew the surname on my visa is Hallgate, which is my Mum’s maiden name.......what I believed happened is when I was getting the permit for the car even though my Passport, Visa, immigration form list me as Pearson the a*ent must have asked me my mothers maiden name as that is usual here and then my permit came out in the name of Les Pearson Hallgate.

As that name is different to my visa I have to return to the Mexican birder and get a new correct one!!

Still with me?????

So my plan is now to return to the local office on Monday and get my visa and on Tuesday drive to the border in Laredo and get a correct car permit and drive back.

I cannot drive into the states because the border is still closed to non Us citizens except for essential travel...I love to drive so none of this is a problem for me!!

I love this.....

Stay safe and healthy!!!

Yashi Kochi!!