Summer Activities - A Lot Going On

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

Recovered from our month-long trip and visitors in May, we have been just as busy now that we are back home.  On my part, I've done some minor repairs and painting.  Like any house, ours moves with the temperatures.  Concrete and cement block aren't quite as forgiving.  

The wall in the hallway developed a nice crack that started about 40 centimeters up from the floor and ran for about a meter and a half.  I chiseled it out and attempted to spackle and paint it.  The paint matches perfectly but the two spackles I used were less than perfect.  Ond small area was pretty deep, so the spackle had to be applied in layers.  In the end, it required some sanding to get it 90% smooth, but it will do for now.  I now want to take a class on how to mix and spread plaster.  It's an art for sure.  

We are planning on having one of the bedrooms semi-remodeled.  That will include moving some outlets around and using some with USB connections.  The flat screen has a canal strip to hide the cord.  It was originally used to bring the cable down from the dish years ago.  We haven't had cable tv for over 15 years.  For me, it was just a waste of time, all that clicking with no satisfying results.  YouTube and Netflix work fine for us, and we watch live television on YouTube as well.  Also, replacing the closet.  When we bought the place back in 2001, we were tight on cash and installed cheap. So every closet has sliding mirror doors.  Enough with the mirrors!  I'm so old now I don't care to look at myself.  Especially getting dressed, uff!

I don't want to jinx myself, but we may have a buyer for the travel trailer.  While we were gone during the month of May, I took the ad down from Facebook Marketplace.  It's back on, but a lot of squirrelly people contact me.  One guy was a bit mysterious at first.  It turns out he is in the Frozen On Ice show that travels around Mexico and Central America.  He is looking for a small trailer for his son, who is in the troupe as he is getting married.  They need their own pad.  Hopefully, it will come through.  I wasn't going to post anything, but I couldn't hold back.

Hurricane Erick was supposed to strike with vengeance, but it has petered out.  Today is the last forecasted day of rain.  We had two short showers last week, and it gave us a slight sprinkling while I was out for my exercise yesterday.  Every little bit helps though, and the grass remains green considering the heat has been pretty intense.

A family party yesterday.  Juan's nieces and nephews from his oldest sister came along with their kids and grandkids, as well as his little brother and two of their kids.  Makes for quite a bunch.  They made discada, which is a combination of chorizo, salchicha, shrimp, bacon, beef, bell peppers and onions cooked on a shallow wok-type disk, hence the name discada.  Everyone brought something.  We also had hamburgers and hotdogs for the kids.  They get tired of carne asada.  Turns out, the adults wanted my delicious homemade hamburgers, and the chili I made for the hot dogs.  Go figure!  Pool time and lots of conversation.  

Juan with one of his great-great nieces.

The cardiologist is still trying to figure out what is up with my non-existent heart (yes, I don't have one!).  I don't know if I told you about my hospitalization event before we went to Italy.  That passed and we took the trip.  Back home, there was a stress test and then last week an angiogram.  That was something new.  I get those results on the 3rd of July.  Heart disease is in my family history.  With ten siblings, three have had the bypass, and my oldest brother, who is 85, just had his fourth stent inserted.  Still going strong after that and his shoulder replacement surgery.  He's back to gardening and driving around with his girlfriend.  

Mexico news will be in another post. We're going downhill fast.  I have also written a post on deportations, both legal and illegal, but it seems too controversial to post at this time.  

Just Tell The Truth

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

It's been quite a couple of weeks.  We had guests for two weeks and I can say I have lived the famous saying, "guests are like fish, after three days they start to stink".  Imagine after two weeks.   It was not a good visit in San MIguel de Allende but prior to the visit we did get some big jobs done one of which were the window screens ordered and installed.  You really don't need them but visitors may have an issue.  The stackable washer/dryer we bought used need a new transmission and we had that done.  Nice to have that available and we took advantage of it.  Having your laundry done by someone is nice but then you have to take it and pick it up and that can be a bother.  

In addition, I have been fired upon for simply telling the truth.  As I always say, I'm not a Republican or a Democrat, but I can see that some of the bullshit from both sides is just outright hysteria, lies, and mistruths.  I'm not sure why so many people are offended when I challenge their false or unsubstantiated claims.  You would think they would either research claims before stating them or accept the truth once it has been presented.  As I stated in a previous post, some of the actions taken by the current U.S. president have benefited Mexico.  I don't remember ever having lived in the United States when illegals were welcomed and given such accommodation.   It's also against the law to be in Mexico illegally.  Those that were coming through Guatemala were given six-month passes and some change to make their way to the U.S.  Americans and Canadians are deported regularly, mostly for attempting to live here with a tourist visa or over extending their stay.

Here are a few things that I have found to counter some of the false information that is being sent around the world:

Turns out ole Billy Boy did his share of cuts as well.  It's part of the job.  In all administrations many federal workers receive buyouts or are reinstated over time.

• Trump, as of today, has laid off or given buy-outs to 130,000

• Clinton fired 400,000 federal employees over an eight-year period.

• Obama cut Medicare by 716 billion dollars to pay for Obamacare.

• Trump to cut 800 billion dollars from Medicaid, which is not Medicare.

Basic Medicare, also known as Original Medicare, covers hospital stays (Part A) and doctor visits. It provides a foundation of coverage for medical expenses, but doesn't cover everything.   Below are parts that people pay for and think they are getting a real bargain.  Average prices for private full-coverage medical are in the range of $600 per month.  

Part B averages $185 per month

Part C averages $17 to $200 per month.

 

Part D starts at $46.50 per month.

Part F supplements Part A & B $199

Part G fills gaps for $100 to $299 per month.

Wow, what a nightmare trying to figure your way through that laberynith. Medicare was never free.  For free you can get your vitals checked and a consultation and that's about it.  

Medicaid is free to those who qualify, but it covers very little.  There is a huge laundry list of exclusions.  

Since all of this has happened, Medicaid may now be on the chopping block.  It's not the programs that are a problem, but the fraud that sucks up all the money.  Doctors overcharge, doctoring bill submissions for payment, and quite a few that are on Medicaid disability that maybe should have gone back to work years ago.  You've seen the videos of those that receive disability benefits but are recorded working, climbing on rooftops, etc.  Cut out the fraud, not those that deserve it.

One of the things that have come out of this are those that say, "Well, we won't go to the United States".  That's good and nothing wrong with that.  You don't agree with the administration, and it is a good way to protest.  But do yourselves a favor and don't visit Cuba.  It's a communist regime and the people are literally starving to death.  Mexico is paying 100,000 pesos per  month for each Cuban doctor they send to Mexico. That's for transportation, food, lodging and personal medical equipment.  The Cuban doctors receive 27,000 per month. Mexico doesn't need more doctors.  We have plenty of our own who don't make 27,000 pesos.  The average pay for a Mexican doctor is 17,000 pesos per month. The money that Mexico pays Cuba for doctors goes to the Cuban government and not to the doctors.  

The same goes for Mexico.  Headed for an authoritarian regime no one from the U.S. or Canada is complaining.  June 1st marked the first public election ever in the world for Supreme court justices.  Mexico ranks as the fifth most dangerous country in the world with over 240,000 murders in the last six years.  Let's not mention the constant assaults and highway robberies, disappearances (100,000 to date), extortion, and cobro de piso (paying the bad guys just to stay in business) and now they are charging people to live in their houses.  Nice place to visit but I'm sure it's their policy not yours.

The most common statement from many people we know in the U.S. and Canada is, "Well, we are just visiting, and we can't do anything about it".  If you can boycott the U.S. you can boycott Cuba, Haiti, China, and more.  Think about us.  There are 64 countries Juan and I can't visit for fear they will capture us and bury us up to our necks and then stone us or even worse, cut off our heads or lifetime imprisonment.  Yet, people go there and accept the terms even though others may be persecuted.  People say, "the food is great and inexpensive so it's their policy, not mine".

This isn't over yet but it will pass.  Most of what Trump did in his first term was easily reversed or repaied and the same will happen again.  Funny that Musk is talking about creating a third party.  I've said that for years here on the blog.  A two-party system doesn't work.  Not the right person for the job, but the idea is a good one and hopefully someone else will come through with it.