Drove Mom to her appointment at the beauty shop in Ciudad Acuna and while there decided I too would get a hair cut. She really likes her new hairdresser and she did an excellent job on her hair.
Afterwards we proceeded to buy groceries at two of the local stores that we frequent the most Soriana and Bodegas Aurrera (owned by Wal-Mart). Soriana had a great price on Roma tomatoes one kilo for $3.45 mexican pesos. For those that are not familiar with kilos:
1 Kilo = 2.2 lbs
That is like buying 2.2 lbs of tomatoes for
.35 US cents.
We then proceeded to Bodegas Aurrera where we usually buy
nopales (cactus) though not often on special this is a great vegetable with innumerable properties that help with cholesterol, diabetes, cardio vascular disease and osteoporosis just to name a few.
This particular module had all of the health benefits one can get by eating this great vegetable but unfortunately for my readers it is in Spanish…but try googling it for further information.
I take minimum two medium size ice chests since we buy a lot of fruits and vegetables. We usually go grocery store hopping so they come in handy in keeping our stuff cool as we go from store to store. Today I brought along two small ice chests as well so I had stuff spread in different coolers (this will make sense as you read on).
When you go shopping in Mexico you will get better prices if you pay in Mexican currency rather than US dollars. I had to buy my high blood pressure medicine so I pretty much used up all the Mexican currency I had. Decided to stop at a local exchange house and buy some more pesos before heading home.
Unfortunately for me I have not fully recovered from my sprained ankle in Terlingua last year and did not notice that the pavement was not leveled and my left ankle gave out and I took a tumble. A young couple selling hats heard me scream and then saw me laying on the pavement and came to my rescue.
My only thought was that my mother would think someone saw me come out of the exchange house and had tried to rob me. So I asked the girl to please tell my mother that it was only a fall, that I was fine. They helped me to the sidewalk where I sat for a long while till I felt well enough to walk to my car.
If that was not enough drama for the day when we got to US Customs the lady officer began to grill me about what I brought back. Believe me, we bring a ton of stuff back and with the pain in my ankle plus my CRT (Can’t Remember Shit) syndrome I was slow in responding to everything she asked.
That is when she told me that it was not HER…but the computer had generated “A Random Inspection of my Vehicle” and sent me off to the inspection station…WTH? She said it like I had just won the damn lottery!!
I was in so much pain I really did not give a darn since I did not have anything to hide. I must say though that the guys that searched the vehicle were very nice and considerate of my mom. They even cracked a couple of jokes…one said, “looks like we need to crack the coffee pot and enjoy the cake she forgot to declare” : D
Have to mention that when they got to the medium ice chest in the trunk one of the guys told me “before I open this ice chest I need you to declare what you have here because if I find you have a prohibited item I will have to fine you” to which I responded that I had four other ice chest and I could not remember exactly all that was in that particular one but that it was nothing prohibited”…he then proceeded to open it and inspect it and everything checked out.
I will probably get a lot of flack for this but I am going to say it anyway…I know that they are only doing their job… but if you can, stay clear or change lanes and avoid women inspection officers if at all possible especially elderly ones and that goes for the men too, it is like they have a chip on their shoulder, at least all the ones that I have dealt with.
Good night. May you all have Terlingua Dreams.
