Back to the Status Quo.

I get to the kennel to get Kjell, they didn't do his exam or his checks yet, WTF!! They've had him since the 17^th. He is happy to see me, but boy does he hate the carrier.  I get him settled into the flat and I head into the office. 

Things at the office were quiet.  Get my battle plan about the next few days together and that's a wrap.

More Later....
G.

A Quiet Day

I spend the day decompressing, I miss Kjell, he is still at the kenel until the 29^th. I get some coffee and some za and watch football, just not the same as watching futbol in mexico.  I caught a couple of the premiership matches while I was in mexico,  what a difference in the commentators.

I catch up on my email and call it a night.

More Later .....
G.

Day 10 -- México 2008 -- SLP -> YEG

I was expecting everyone around 9h30, but surprise the plans were changed.  I hear a knock on the door just as I'm getting out of the shower.  Everyone is downstairs.... EARLY!!! It turns out that Nevlin Grande is giving me the ride to the airport, instead of mama and Cristina.  I hurriedly dress myself and pop downstairs and say my fairwells to Mama, Estef, Cristina and Nelvin.  I settle up my hotel tab (~1500 pesos), load my stuff in Nelvin Grande's truck and airport bound I go.


SLP->IAH


I arrive at the airport ~10h00 and no one is at the Continental Gate.  I press the button, nope.  I'm finally told they are just finishing their morning coffee and will be out in a couple moments.  10h15 there was a swarm of activity and they setup inspection tables etc.  They inspect my checked bag that I had so carefully packed and in the process of helping the girl close my bag I caught my finger nail on the zipper and torn part of it off .... OWWWWWW!!!!.... I get a concha (a yummy sweet bun) and a double espresso, and go into the secured area.

They inspect all my carryons and confiscate 4 AA batteries that I had in my fanny pack...WTF, the fanny pack cleared Canadian and American Customs as is .... ahh well.  I grab a can of mineral water while I'm waiting in the gate area.  Finally the Imigration booth opens and I get cleared and now just have to wait for my boarding call. I notice in one of the papers they were questioning the cost of the festival of lights (~20million pesos) compared to the benifits of tourism.  I didn't read the article since I'm just not that useful in spanish.  There are a whack of kids under 10 running around screaming at the top of their lungs, please god don't let them be on my flight.

Boarding time and they re-open all my carry ons?! WTF!! I get boarded, DAMN, the kids are on the plane, this is gonna be a long loud flight I can feel it.  The plane is an Embraer 145, same as plane comming down, and it's full but atleast I'm in the row of singles.  There was the cutie on the plan be she was a couple rows ahead of me and engrossed in her magazines.  About an hour into the flight this 5 or 6 year old starts screaming at the top of her lungs trying to get her dads attention, and it continues until we land an IAH, wheres my dramamine.  I thought the babies were going to be the issue nope, was the yard apes.

Day 9 -- México 2008 -- Tripitas

Today is Marcela and Issac's last day with us, so I get to the house early and say my farewells. I do a first photo pass of the house, but the results are vetoed. Estef and Cristina have a siesta, so mama, Nelvin and I head to a major park for a bit of sight seeing.

On route to the park I see a mamey vendor, I shout mamey, take note of the location but we didn't stop, D'OH!!! We make our way to Tangamanga Park.

Tangamanga Park, is San Luis' equivalent of Central Park, or Stanley Park etc. People running, an RC Plane/Car area, BMX Track, tennis courts etc. It's mostly irrigated so it's an nice green oasis in the middle of the mexican desert. They also have a botanical garden of the native flora of the state. We stroll around the garden, and then head out, we get a couple of frozen fruit bars (I forget which type, something we normally don't see here ... sniff.) Now to find that mamey cart. Nope, gone, no sign of him, I'm left wanting. I'm still kicking myself, I should have bought more mamey that first time.

We get back to the house enjoy our fruit bar and then clean the house. Out we go, for lunch, mariscos y tostadas. Yummy, A large seafood cocktail with a splash of salsa and advocado. Sooo goood. Why can't we get food like this backhome. MickeyDees or BurgerKing is just not the same. Fastfood that is fast and flavourful and nutritious.

A little more cleaning, now as each room meets mama's approval I snap off the photos.Unfortunately we never got mama's room upto scratch... ahhh welll. Supper time and the quest for Tripitas, tripe tacos. We find the place, yeaaaaahhhh!! So Good, Nelvin and I need seconds. I've noticed the sodas I've been drinking here in Mexico are much less sweet than stuff in Canada and the US. Come to think of it the cereal I ate as well. Stupid yanks and the high fructose corn syrup ( watch King Corn.)

Day 8 -- México 2008 -- Navidad

Feliz Navidad!! Feliz Navidad!! You know the song.  I made my way back to Cristina's__ Hey! I'm getting the hang of this cab thing, I'm actually getting to the door without pulling my hair out.  We eat left overs, the bacalao like any sauce is better the next day; I conviced people to eat the bacalao as a sauce for the pasta yummy. 

I do photos of Marcela, Nevlin, and Cristina as well as Estefania in the park across the street.  It's great to see Cristina with her family.

Back to the kitchen I prepare potato pancakes with capers, smoked salmon, sour cream, minced onion and parsley.  Mama had sent her skillet back to Monterrey, D'OH!!  We find a smaller skillet in the house, and manage to make do, it just takes longer to cook all of the pancakes. Everyone loved them so it was worth the work. 

Most of the group heads to the festival of lights, while I baby sit Estef. 

Another great day, too bad my time is comming to an end.