Today is an interesting day in the life of this accomplished author. We had a chance to visit Quenca today. We would have to pay for gas and the trip was for the weekend. Problem is we would need to pay a portion of the hotel bill, buy food, pay for gas, and all of this to visit a place we have already visited several times. Gas is 2.50 per gallon for regular here in Ecuador. We chose to opt out, and I am happy simply remaining here inside our community facility.

We awoke this morning around 0630, as usual. My wife ate a cheese sandwich and I had a bowl of oats. We made coffee and sat on the front porch in our underwear. It felt so good with the wind blowing. I honestly don’t think the people passing by even recognized that I was sitting around in my drawers. I honestly don’t care if they did. What can they do about it? It felt good so why should we not do it?

Around 0930 we gathered up our computers and walked out toward the administration building. We are presently sitting around the pool typing on the computers. My wife took a quick dip, but I will not until the sun goes down around 1800, since the sun kills me when I pull my shirt off. I had my past experiences with second degree burns from the sun back when I was twelve. I will never forget the terrible experience.

Back in that time my grandfather and my great uncle were big time tobacco farmers. My grandfather owned 3 tobacco plantations. My great uncle owned one and several rental properties. I was required to help put this tobacco in during the summer months. I had older friends, and one was named Stacy who had his driver licence. He wanted to venture out early one Saturday for some fun at a local lake, made up in resemblance to a beach area. A bunch of friends were going to be there, including some very popular and attractive girls and very young women. An underlying possibility for some new adventure in pleasures of the flesh really excited all of us boys at the time, although it was more in all our minds than in fact. None of us could wait, but Pap agreed, informing me however, that if I got sun cooked while out, I still would be required to work come Monday.

Well, we all motored out, went down to the lake cottage around 0900, and a decent crowd was there, to say the least. Maybe there were twenty of us in all, ages 12 to 19. All of the girls and young ladies looked fine in their thin swim suits, we all thought at the time. All of us began playing underwater tag, broke out the grill, stole a few kisses which really made our day, and come 1800 hours, I forgot all about the sun. When we settled down for the evening back in the cottage, I could feel the heat radiating from my skin all over. When I took my shower back at the cottage, I knew I had messed up badly. By the time I made it back home around 2000 hours that day, blisters were already forming all over my shoulders, neck, and back.

Come Monday I was in utter misery, but my horror was only commencing. I had to trudge rows on foot, cropping tobacco. At the end of the row I hopped back on the tractor pulling the trailer, and rode it back to the kerosene stick barn to help hang the tobacco after we strung it up on the sticks. The worst sticks for me to hang were the final three or four when the rafter sections were filled inside the old wooden stick barns. I had to fall backwards up against the rough wood to fit these into place. My sun cooked back covered in blisters was already irritated from the heavy sweating, the heat from being out in the fields, and the tobacco gun oozing down in my sweat. When this rubbed against the splinters and rough wood, the pain was almost unbearable.

It took a full week to end. The misery ended when the itching began, but I preferred the itching to the pain by far. In the end the lesson I learned was that I was still responsible for fulfilling my assigned duties, not matter what, come what may. I also have never been sun cooked again, since I learned to take care. Today I am much older than 12, and still haven’t forgotten the lessons I learned on that day in my life so many years ago.

Yesterday I traveled to the dentist. This lady’s office was maybe ten miles from where we live here in Sanborodon, Ecuador. She looked my teeth over well, showing me where I needed nine fillings, a heavy cleaning, my left front tooth rebuilt, three extractions, a prosthesis, and one root canal. The total price on all of this would be 700.00 American.

I grind my teeth and have done so since late childhood. The teeth on my upper jaw have split and fallen apart, for all practical purposes. I knew I had banged up teeth, but I didn’t know to what extent, because I never go to a dentist. In America medical care is for the wealthy, not us average folk, I am fond of saying. For that reason I never go to doctors of dentists. The pain usually subsides.

Since I am trying to stretch my money I have decided to get everything except the prosthesis, and two of the extractions. That move alone will save me more than 400.00. Should we remain here for the long term, maybe then I shall complete the job. Yesterday, Thursday, 7/14/2022, I got the tooth rebuild, six fillings, and the root canal. I shall return on Monday to complete this task. I well may also get another custom made bite guard. Ten years ago mine I had made down here cost me 20.00. American, only. I will find out what it costs now, come Monday.

I usually get an entire physical, including a liver check, blood check, heart exam, and a prostate exam. Last time I did some four years ago, I only paid 20.00 American. If one has arthritis this person may book a curing session at selected offices, purchase a bus ticket here in Guayaquil to Lima, Peru, for 20.00 American, so I have discovered, and have it completely cured if in its early stages. What can’t be cured is the bone damage, if in its late stages. The excruciating pain can be treated.

During this curing session one must enter into a health spa setting, where he/she is treated by repeated soaking inside natural, heated mineral springs, getting frequent messages, and drinking selective herbal potions. The ingredients are a carefully guarded secret, where suffering patients arrive in from all over the western world to take part in. Many suffering Germans and Spanish swear by these cures, so I am informed. The doctors are natives practicing traditional medicine, who engage in a series of ritualistic dances while the proceedings are taking place. Never fear, since these natives are well known outside of American boarders for cure illnesses such as many types of cancers that highly skilled western doctors can’t, or refuse to do so out of an intent to service their own insatiable greed levels, as in the case of today’s American medical system. The general process takes more than a month to complete, and costs 2500.00 American, including room, food, nurse care, medicine, and everything, at the time of this writing, 7/15/2022, 1402.

Just for the record Cuban doctors have a world wide reputation for their abilities to cure cancers. My wife has a cousin who was dying of brain cancer in America, where the doctors sadly informed him that he was beyond help. His family flew him off to Cuba, where he was cured in fairly short order. That was over twenty years ago, and he still lives today.

Well, enough of my rambling. Today we didn’t do much. We awoke at 0630, ate rice, fried eggs, and ham. We hopped a taxi around 1000, rode to the mall up a ways from where we live, then purchased a can of paint for our worker to complete his job task for the day, which is to paint the outside security walls inside and out, and to paint the exterior of our concrete and tile home. I walked back over to the lady who sold me the bollo day before yesterday for 1.25. I was going to buy four. She wanted 2.50 today for only a fish bollo and nothing else. Unless I lost something in the language translation, it was because today was Friday. I wound up buying a hotdog and a coke for one dollar, then eating a plate of rice and beans when I made it back home. Otherwise a bollo can’t be beat for quality or price anywhere in Ecuador. Here, bollo and Chau flan are the travelers perfect food, since the price nor the quality can’t be beat!

Well, its been awhile since I put anything on this blog, so shame on me! Over the past three days I’ve tried to make up for that time lag. Part of what caused such an absence was the Covid 19 lock down deal, and me having to fight for my unemployment benefits. I also wrote a short novel during that time called “They Called Him Ringo Arenas.”

I submitted this novel to a publisher known as Pen-it publications. The work was accepted, the cover designed, the edits completed, and then nothing. I found out that the owner sold the company, and three manuscripts that I submitted, signed the contract for, were professionally edited, and the book cover designed, are still yet to be put into print. I asked the new owner how things were going, and he simply sent my request to another person. At the present time I don’t know what the deal is with my three books. When I do I’ll certainly keep the blog updated.

Not much has gone on today, 7/14/2022, at 1158. I woke up at 0630. I took a breakfast of rice, fried egg, and sliced ham. I went out on the porch to drink my coffee. I spoke with my neighbor who hails from California named Juan. He seems to be a good person. He is retired from the US military and work in Boeing as an air craft mechanic. He is Ecuadorian by heritage. Around 1000 hours I walked over to the administration office to access their Wi-Fi, so here I am. My wife informs me that she created a dentist appointment at 1400, I think, or was it 1300? I can’t rightly recall. I am not personally crazy about going, but I know I have banged up teeth, since I have always ground my teeth at night. All of my teeth on my upper mouth are split in two, except my front teeth, and they are chipped. More than likely the dentist will want to pull my split teeth, but I do not intend on allowing this. We shall see in time, I suppose.

I have a few personal concerns. One of my greatest concerns is the fact that I am 55 and do not have any retirement savings, and only 7 thousand dollars in savings. What am I going to do about this? What alternative approach can I devise to navigate around this uncomfortable situation that I could navigate around in my elderly years? The wife and I intend on remaining here in Ecuador until September 10th. We are then hopping on a plane, jetting back up to Tampa, Florida, then jetting out to Sandiago, California, where we intend on catching a cruise ship to Hawaii. This cruise is a two week deal, plus three or four more days out to kick around. I can’t wait. What we are going to do after that, I haven’t clue, which is where our plan becomes a bit sticky. We are living fat today, and high up on the hill. We are thinking about jetting out to Las Vegas, working six months there since salaries are good and living relatively inexpensive, then jetting back down to Ecuador, and living here for six months. We could do it here, since one can easily function here on 500.00 USD a month. That one potential for a future retirement, so stay tuned for more information in this chance all, or nothing lifestyle I live. In the end, no matter what, if I can’t do anything else I can always write about it.

Today nothing big has yet occurred. We both arose from bed, washed, then made breakfast. Around 0900 we headed out to the mall so we could purchase paint, brushes, and other artifacts. When we made it back into the gated community, Zoilita was there with her brother, who my wife hired to do the work of painting the house. The house is a small Italian villa styled one. When we made it inside, Zoilita had a bollo for the wife and me. This we halved, then served it up with rice.

Well, my money is holding out wonderfully. The wife had a friend named Sherry who showed up the other day with her son, visiting Ecuador. These two people were from Denver, Colorado. Sherry is in the process of acquiring a dual citizenship, since life in the US is becoming so ridiculously expensive, and she will be retiring in three years or so. Her retirement and eternal house payment back in Denver will not cut it. She might as well rent the house out and move on somewhere else.

Our days thus far are fairly simple. We awake, we eat breakfast, we go uptown, buy needed items, then return back to the house. Our days usually wind up by the poolside. My wife says she is glad she retired out of the US public school system. I wish I was retired from something. My personal failure in life was not finding stable employment with a pension and benefits, retirement and otherwise. My entire life has been lived on the edge, hoping for a windfall or a stroke of luck. What else may I do when nothing I try really works out?

dogs with french fries, and dancing. I am sore from it this morning. Many women were doing rather risque dances in fancy dresses, bikini bathing suits, and shorts, but so it is down in the tropics. Personally, I had a real blast! I’m sitting in a plastic chair by a wall plug in our largely unfurnished home at this very moment. The time in Ecuador and date presently is 0958 7/11/2022.

We awoke the following morning. The wife and myself had beans, rice, and ham for breakfast, served up with two cups filled with steaming black coffee. By 0930 we were heading out the door. We walked to the small strip mall area outside the security gate of the community where we live. We both make our way into the Coffee & Sweet shop and purchased a chocolate crescent so we could get on the internet. We played around on the internet where we readily texted and spoke with family for two hours. I carried three thousand dollars with me, intending to live on two, and use one for our cruise to Hawaii. I put this money into my wife’s Ecuadorian bank account, since leaving cash at home is unwise, especially with our side door being a security risk since it doesn’t lock. Theft is a potential here that cannot ever be overlooked.

By three we had made it back to the neighborhood where we lived. An old friend was in town and contacted my wife. She met us by the pool around 1800. Her and her son spoke with us and we ate dinner in the cafe near the sweet shop. We walked back down to the neighborhood where we live, showing them the house, which was empty since the tenant had exited recently. After their visit we walked with them back out the front gate where they met the taxi and were on their way toward the beach. The wife and I rounded the evening off with a few shots of duty-free Wild Turkey bourbon. then went off to bed by 2300. The date was 7/12/2022.