NEW YEAR`S EVE & TIME TO GO

Time flies no matter what. I`ve got to start packing now as I have arranged for a taxi to pick me up at the apartment tomorrow AM at 8:30 so I can catch my 11:15 flight to Buenos Aires.

Since my last post, I`ve taken my new friends Manual and Lena to dinner at Bon Profit, a really nice little restaurant on the via Argentina. She had shrimp, Manual had paella which he shared with all of us because there was so much, and I had a nice steak in some kind of semi hot sauce. They had flan for desert, and I took a bite of it.

I mentioned that I could use a massage, and thought nothing more of it. The next day, Lena called and said she had found a place and had made an appointment for me, and would meet at the corner of Via Espana and Argentina and take me there. All of which happened. The location of the massage place was on Brazil, only 15 minute walk. They were going to wait for me, but I assured them I could find my way home. It was a very good massage. They left today with other friends to go to Chitiquire for New Years. It´s close to the border with Costa Rica.

My landlord came by last night to check me out. He had been at his Office party, and thought he had to go back, but someone from his office called and said not to bother as most everyone had gone home. So he called his wife, Yaria, to come and pick him up and we had a glass of wine or two while we waited. I was sad to tell him that I broke two of his wine glasses during my stay, and he said he`d send me an invoice.

Then Yaria arrived. I learned that the are BOTH actuaries, and that he is the Corporate Actuary for his Company. She manages one of it`s branch offices, and does mostly sales and management.

I read a few eight books while I was here, finding them in English at Gran Morrison, a department store, and also at Xecdra Book Store which is only a couple of blocks away. I won´t bore you with the titles. They were mostly escapism material, good to read by the pool.

AS FOR THE YEAR

It sucked! Never again will I go under the knife voluntarily. My memory isn`t good enough to remember much except getting the house leased, spending weeks, if not months getting it ready, and then the operation. And my friend of more than 15 years, Ray Schiff passed on. Max the dog went to a new and I`m sure better home.

Now for the good stuff:
I want to thank my good friends, Charles and Carlen Goehring for visiting me in the hospital, and taking me to their home the first night out of the hospital. Jack Claton left his Denver home before he expected to, came back to Green Valley and cooked and helped me out during the first week. Then Stephanie Johnson, took a week off from her REAL job as a nurse to look after me.

Her mom, Maria Johnson made a trip to help me get the house finally ready for my tenants. I don`t know how I could have done that by myself. She got off of a flight from Hong Kong in Chicago, and transferred to a flight to Tucson and didn´t slow down ever!

And, of course, my sister, Mimi, who showed up in my hospital room with flowers and greetings. There wasn`t a lot she could do at that point, but it`s nice to have an advocate on hand in case you need one.

For tonight, I think I`ll just stay home, and let the amateurs take over. I know there will be lots of fireworks, if I can stay up late enough to see them. The pool deck would be an ideal location, since it wraps around the whole building.

The next time you hear from me will be from Argentina. It may take me a few days to figure out the new computer, so don`t hold your breath.

In the meantime, have a Happy Prosperous, Healthy and Peaceful NEW YEAR!!

JW