Every Day It's Retirement

I’m in full “retirement mode.” Go ahead ask what in the world is “retirement mode”? My answer back is I’m doing what I want to do, in a location I want to be at, to my own time schedule. Further clarification would reveal that I’m sitting at my computer, on a veranda off my office space in my Puerto Vallarta (MX.) home, dressed in a vintage tee shirt, torn but comfortable shorts, well worn slippers, listening to my surrounding neighborhood noises – an occasional car, cats/dogs, chickens, two burros from next door talking, chattering jays and passing green parrots, and my personal friend, a great-tailed male grackle who things I’m his personal food provider and tells me so with many sounds, dancing, and puffing of his feathers. Evening is descending, the temperature is a mild 78 degrees Fahrenheit, and the wind is absolutely still. If I don’t pay him attention he will go around the corner to the veranda off Dolores office and demand her services.

Evening falls fast at this time of year (winter) in the tropics passing from full daylight to dark in 30 – 45 minutes. I’m often caught reading a book and trying to finish the chapter before I can’t see the type on the pages. Dolores is working and doing research for her next seasons Essence of Cuisine cooking classes, developing menu themes and beyond. She recently gave a talk for the International Friendship Club on entertaining do’s/don’ts, is developing a class for a school in Seattle this fall, and is planning her “continuing education” activities locally and in the PNW. I could say she’s out of my hair…or is it the other way around?

Our recent visitors (grown kids) left last week after a month’s visit and returned to the frozen and snowy PNW. The visit was great and we were able to travel to Mexico City and surrounding environs, a great way to introduce them to more Mexico and to catch us up on what’s happened over the last thirty years since Dolores and I had visited the area. If you’re interested in what we experienced read my Blog at http://robertopezvela.blogspot.com/ for a narrative of the wonderful trip.

Other trips will be and are posted at the above link along with fun and miscellaneous happenings. See ya later…