My iPhone XR died the other day. It was a horrible death, but died it did.
Thank the Lord for Amazon.com.
Today, I received my new, refurbished, iPhone 11 Pro Max, with 256GB, blah, blah, blah. It works. End of story.
Of course it’s a.m.
Is it better than the XR?
Absolutely. Is it worth the price?
Absolutely.
The unfortunate thing is that my XR was so damaged, I could only transfer the chip,not the data. It will take me several hours/days to download all of the apps I need to make our lives easier here.
I will not bore you with the details of its demise; suffice it to say it was ugly. This one is slightly bigger, longer, actually, but definitely better. If you are in the mood for an upgrade, consider the 11 Pro Max.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
You know that I really enjoy doing online puzzles. Here is one that took me, with only 441 pieces, over 6 1/2 hours.
The tiny red pieces were so alike in color that it was difficult, until I got many minutes into each day’s worth of piecing. Once the pattern, if one could call it that, kicked in, I was able to get quite a bit accomplished each time.
Of course, I didn’t do it continuously; it took me about 3 evenings to finish. I really don’t think I could have it any faster.
While I put together my puzzles, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
We have been without the family for several days now, and the silence is deafening.
A relative of Liz’ passed away a few nights ago so they took off for Los Altos. It is so lonesome here, in the evenings, when they aren’t here.
Now, they are back. Both Liz, and Brandon have coughs; Liz is the worst. More than likely, it is the change in the altitude, and the climate. Neither has, or has had a fever, or chills, thank the Lord. Both are coughing, though, nonproductive.
They are all sleeping upstairs, in their little hovel, so they won’t make us sick. We wish they would come down here. It’s not contagious, if just a weather change.
We miss them so much.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
We decided to change the seating arrangement in our bedroom; a “love seat”, for the “glider/ottoman” in the bedroom of the Garcia’s.
The glider/ottoman that we bought for Juan to use, is white. We bought it, thinking that he would use it when he came to live with us; after all of the renovations were through.
It didn’t happen. The glider, and ottoman, were in their bedroom, but they were unable to use it to the fullest advantage.
We did. We are.
Ivan has the wide chair/cilla, the pieces we thought were for an outside garden, with pieces of foam, cut to our specifications, from other pieces needed around the apartment.
MY chair, however, is the glider we bought for Ivan’s dad, mi suegro, about 3 years ago. The ottoman is actually a storage bin, but without anyone knowing it. We have put a few things in it, so, when I need those few things, I will have no idea where they are. Lucky me.
I don’t use the ottoman, but spend time gliding, gently, back and forth on the glider, and have, actually, put myself to sleep doing the very thing.
Relaxing. AMAZING.
You need one. Trust me on this.
We had a hammock, when we lived in Port Byron, IL. I have no idea how often we used it, but it was the most relaxing thing I have ever experienced.
If you ever have a chance to but a hammock, BUY IT. You will never regret the experience.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
The other day, Ivan was out in the kitchen, puttering.
That’s what I call it.
Ok, he was messin’ in my kitchen. Usually, when he does that, he has decided that the fridge , or freezer, needs to be “cleaned out”, and/or reorganized.
Wrong!!! My fridge is micromanaged, poor thing. (I won’t even tell youabout the freezer.) The mustards are all in one door pocket; the pickles, sauerkraut, and the like, are in another; the Oriental condiments in another; the really tall things, like the mega Costco bottles of catsup, yellow mustard, bottles of red, and white wine (for cooking,) fish, and oyster sauces, really nice dressings, all in another one, or two. The smaller things like Better than bouillon, instant yeast, freshly (at the time) squeezed lemon, and lime juices in the top slots. What’s not to like?
Everything is where it needs to be to open, grab, and cook.
Ok, so he’s puttering, then calls me into said kitchen, and I am ready to take on whatever challenge he’s put me up against.
There was none.
What?
He had taken the 3 jars of different brands of pineapple jelly, his favorite, and cut up a serrano pepper, and mixed it with the jellies.
I know you’re saying OMG why would he do that?
It is amazing people. It is sweet, but not too sweet, as one of the jellies, we discovered, was sugar free, but has the very slightest kick from the chile. Seriously. There is nothing like sweet, and spicy to take a dish over the top.
When I make us pancakes, I always fry one egg, sunny side up, for each of us. I put it between the top two pancakes, along with a dollop of salsa, then top it with the last pancake. Maple syrup, not too much, goes over the top. TRY IT.
As most of you know I am not a fan of sweets. Been there. But I have come to be able have the occasional sweet if it is mixed with something with a hint of spicy. Even Ivan has come to embrace this.
Here is the final product of his creation. I hope you will try it, and let me know what you think. Really, the serrano was not even whole; he used only half he said.
Seriously. If you have not tried sweet, and spicy, please do. It is simply out of this world delicious.
We plan on putting it on roasted pork tacos, carnitas, peanut butter sandwiches; well, you get the idea. Try a bite, at first, and see if you aren’t smiling when you’re done.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves. And don’t believe anything CBS, NCC, ABC, MSNBC, or CNN tells you. Don’t be a spoke in the wheel. Be the wheel!!
Post script: think about bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers, sprinkled with brown sugar, just before they come out of the oven. It doesn’t get any better people. Trust me on this.
The epicenter continues to be in the state of Guerrero, and this one has been considered violent.
The alarms went off on my phone, and iPad, thank the good Lord. Then, we noticed the wind chimes in our bedroom were swaying. (Yes, we put them there exactly for this reason, and long before I had the app.)
Jesús, and his family, got out before we even woke up. We had taken some Benadryl, hoping to get to sleep before sunrise, however, just as I was falling to sleep, the alarm started.
I staggered to my phone, shut off the alarm on it, then on the iPad as well. While I was walking/staggering to the kitchen, I could feel the floor moving under my feet. It feels as if one has had about 8 shots of some horribly powerful alcohol, drank within a 15 minute binge. (I assume as much, as I never drink like that.)
When I was able to get back to the bedroom, grab my phone, and get back to the kitchen, the chimes were banging against the closed door, making quite the racket.
Here are the last few seconds of the wind chimes in the laundry area, just at the end of the swaying. Notice the rug as well. It’s only 19 seconds.
Of course, we went outside, though not everyone did.
We are back in our apartment; the Garcia’s as well, and are trying to relax enough to go to sleep. Another 5am bedtime, if I had my guess. One of these days, we’ll be back on a better schedule.
Oh, we are fine; no damage to our building, or our possessions. It’s really mental stress, fortunately for all of us in the building. Evidently this building was given top marks for its ability to withstand the effects of most earthquakes. Good to know.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
I have started, in the past couple of weeks, at night, while I’m trying to go to sleep, to have complete conversations, in my head.
In Spanish.
Yup. You read that correctly.
In Spanish.
It has taken me 3 years to have this ability; one that I have waited for for years, and years. Now, it is with me.
All in thanks to Jesús, and Liz. They talk to me in Spanish every day, unlike someone else we all know, and love.
I have conversations, in my head, with any number of people; family members, in-laws, people that I don’t even know. Everything, however, is in Spanish.
When I get to a word which is unfamiliar to me, or I just don’t know, I’m stuck. Do I get up, and look it up, or do I wait until the morning, (afternoon), and hope I can remember what I was trying to think of?
I always wait until the next day.
I never remember the word I was trying to say, but, oh well. Maybe someday, soon I hope, I will be able to have a complete understanding of the Spanish language.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves. (Mantenerse feliz, saludable, y seguro. Lávense, cúbranse, y protéjanse.)
Post script: felicidades a nuestro hijo. El tiene 44 años de edad en este día de hoy.
About 10 minutes after the city wide “alert” testing. The city initiated a system of alert a few months ago, and were testing it for a few seconds, making sure it worked.
It works.
A few minutes ago, I was in the kitchen, had just opened the fridge to make something to eat, when I heard the chimes going off, saw them swaying, about 5ft. in front of me. I also saw the rug, draped over the clothes line, moving back, and forth, aggressively.
Then I felt the swaying of the building. The movement always makes me nauseous.
I hollered at Ivan that this was a real earthquake, and we needed to get downstairs. Get outside.
We all gathered outside, even baby Brandon.
My stomach growled.
We’re back inside, eating our lunch, no worse for the wearing.
On my seismic app, the quakes, 3 registering 7.5, 7.5, and 7.6, within minutes of each other, happened in the western state of Colima. T
he western side of the country is getting hammered by quakes. Further south, in the state of Guerrero,in which contains the city of Acapulco, has had multiple quakes over the past few weeks.
Damn Skippy.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
I finally gave up the fight, and let Ivan buy us a microwave.
I have been a staunch supporter of a non-microwave household for 3 solid years. Until the other day.
It was delivered today, and I have already fallen back in love with the convenience. I heated some refried beans, and chicken for a taco for Ivan, taking all of 1 1/2 minutes; more than the time it took to warm the tortilla on the stovetop.
That’s it, on the left.
It takes up a bit of room at the moment, but Ivan, and Jesús have plans to build a shelf in the pantry, and put it there. They wanted to move the small oven in there, but, as I explained, there is too much heat given off by the oven, so it needed to stay closer to the exhaust fan. (The fan which does nothing but suck up the heat, throwing it back into the kitchen, Lovely,)
When we get to our forever home, (to be known as FH; no, not funeral home. I said forever home.)
To change the subject for a moment, we were picking up in the living room yesterday, vacuuming, and mopping, when Ivan moved the big tote in front of the metal shelves we have, and this is what we found.
Remember the fruit fly epidemic? We missed this area all together. Had no idea it was also a source. Jesús was kind enough to take it downstairs, and dispose of the contents. He was pretty grossed out. That says a lot as he cleans the entire inside of the condo here, and comes across all kinds of filth.
Stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.
