Surge in Covid cases / Cold Front / Grocery Run

The Covid numbers keep on going up in Del Rio as well as in Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila - México. The cases are so out of control they had to open a third testing kiosk. It is so discouraging that after two years of this pandemic we still have not learned to avoid family gatherings during holidays or to mask up.

Yesterday Wednesday, January 19th it was 84 degrees, as I am typing this it is 42 with a feel like of 31 degrees with wind gusts of 27 mph. I knew it was going to be cold for the next couple of days so I made the decision to go to the post office as well as HEB.

I had so many things to do outside that time got away from me so I waited until after 6:00 p.m. when in my estimation there would be fewer people...I was wrong!  I have never seen the line at the pharmacy drive-thru be so long. It has two lanes but one must have been out of service as there were no cars in it and the other lane had at least 14 cars...you know me and lines...I avoid them!

I went inside and while there were only two people in front of me one lady took forever due to problems with her insurance carrier. By the time I knew the line in the back of me had grown considerably. I wore two good-quality masks and a face shield.  I was glad to see more people masked it was 75/25 in favor of masks.

Since by the time I began grocery shopping it was 6:45 p.m. I do not know if some of the shelves that were empty had to do with people stocking up for the upcoming bad weather, supply chain issues, or worker shortages.

As usual toilet paper was scarce.

How do prices in your area compare?

They did have plenty of paper towels in stock...

Soups...

Pasta aisle...

Who knew there was organic ravioli?

Cold cuts were in low supply but I still managed to score my Turkey Jumbo Franks for $1.28 a package.

I have not bought turkey bacon in at least three years, that changed today as I could not believe the price of only $1.49

HEB brand cookies have gone up very little in price so I bought a few...

Abel in Austin - I was able to find cans of menudo but I almost did not see them as they were in the bottom shelf way in the back.  Picked up four because I was afraid to kneel down and then have to ask for assistance to get up.

I do not think I have tried this brand before (CRS) but when you don't cook you take what you can get.

There was no shortage of hot sauce...

They had reasonable prices on eggs...a dozen large eggs for $1.42 a carton

I read that there was a shortage of mayonnaise but I found my favorite brand Kraft Mayo with Olive Oil on sale for $2.98.

What did go up was Olive Oil...

My buggy at checkout...

I only went to pick up one prescription and to purchase milk, bread, eggs, and bananas but you all know how that goes...I ended up spending $122.90.

By the time I left the store, it was dark. While I had my night vision glasses I was able to drive home just using my new regular ones.

I got home just before the cold front hit Del Rio so I only got down the important things and left most of my can goods in the car.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams and bundle up!

Aunty Acid

Old bookshelves / Betty Boop Care Package

Wednesdays are trash day and yesterday I noticed I only had one small trash bag and as much as we pay for this service forced myself to rake leaves until I filled it up.  Yesterday was a hot day we had a high of 88 degrees.

The other day I almost bought a shoe rack when I remembered that we have three bookshelves from our Austin, Texas days.  I may be dating myself but back in the '60s HEB would issue double gold stamps on Wednesday that you posted to a small booklet and then saved enough to buy stuff at their specialty store that sold a variety of household articles. Anyone remember that?

I took it outside and cleaned it up saving myself a couple of dollars and in the process located three of my high school yearbooks.  Not particular pretty but will work for my intended purpose and will save my back and knees from having to dig under the bed for my shoes.

Here is a picture of the shoe rack I was going to buy when recalled that I had a similar one in the form of a bookshelf at home.

On a prior post, I mentioned that Ms. D (my best friend) eldest daughter Amanda had sent me a Betty Boop care package.  At the time of this picture, I was wearing one of the t-shirts she gifted me so it does not appear here.

Though the AARP bag I think came from Ms. D.  In my youth I would have killed for a BB Diary!
I started writing a diary when I was nine years old. 

The cold front arrived this morning but it hasn't been that bad. We had a low of 50 with a high of 65 degrees.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

A very cold day

It is days like today that I am glad I am not working.  It has been cold!  Lucky for me we do not have any appointments until later on this week.

I really can not complain though after seeing other cities in Texas who fared worst like San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston.  The rain and sleet did not materialize. The schools were closed today but you would have never known it since everyone stayed indoors.

Monday I had to go pick up a prescription at HEB and I could barely find a parking space. I swear half the town was there making panic purchases in preparation for the cold front. Does one really need to buy 10 or more loaves of bread, 6 gallons of milk, several cartons of eggs plus an equal obscene number of cases of water just for two days?  I was so glad I did not have to stand in those awful lines!

Bundle up and stay warm.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

A long day

Man, it has been a long day!  Got up at six this morning and have been going strong up until eleven o'clock this evening.  When I worked in the oil patch, I never knew what time I would get home.  Working 12 to 14 hour days were the norm.  At the time I thought those were long hours, I laugh at that thought now.  It is more taxing physically and emotionally now that I do not work...as in a paying job...but more demanding than I ever thought possible.

This afternoon mother finally got her MRI.  Actually, it was two MRI's...MRI Thoracic Spine...and MRI Lumbar Spine.  Her primary physician is on vacation next week so I have no idea when we will know the results. The good thing is that her pain levels are down and by default her intake of pain medication.

Yesterday I was happy to see regular gasoline going for $2.03 a gallon and inching closer to the less than two dollars a gallon benchmark. I was disappointed to see that the price had jumped six cents overnight to $2.09 per gallon.

It rained this morning but was still warm and humid. The cold front hit around noon, mainly it was the winds that made it feel colder.  The good thing is that our "winter" is about six weeks long.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Cold front on the way

We have had several cool fronts this month something rare for this part of Texas, tonight we are expecting a "cold front" for us that is in the 40's.  I am not going to complain as it is a welcome respite from the hellish summer-like temperatures we have been experiencing.

After taking mother twice to have her leg wound treated at the doctor's office, today we had a nurse come to the house to change her dressing and will continue coming for a week.  Thank goodness for home health care!

After three years I finally filled up my SD Card in my camera.  I have another one but no telling where it is.  It is sad to think how organized I have been all my working life but not so much anymore.

I am trying to upload the pictures I took with my cell phone to the computer but I have not had any success, it won't even upload to Dropbox.  Where is my tall weather cowboy with his computer knowledge?

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.


Spurs Corner

Good to see them getting off to a good start, well up until tonight.  I do not feel bad that we lost because we played lousy.  My second favorite player in the NBA...Jonathan Simmons, a former Spur played his heart out for his new team the Orlando Magic.

I said it before and I will say it again, hope we don't regret letting him go.  Simmons is destined to become a great player.

Go Spurs Go!!!

Cold front / Tumble

Hope you all had a great Christmas but I for one are glad it is over and done with.  Have been needing to go to HEB but I just have not been able to talk myself into making the trip.

Yesterday, it was a beautiful day in the 70's. Today a cold front arrived and it is gray and chilly for this part of Texas.  Not complaining though, many people up north wish they could have these temperatures.

Mom has not been feeling well.  Her iron levels have been very low and she was given vitamins that are supposed to help her but that many individuals can not tolerate.  Her doctor told her per Medicare guidelines they have to be tried first before they will pay for the more expensive IV administered ones.

She will fall asleep and when I tell her to go lay down, she will say she is not sleeping...she is just resting her eyes...when that is not the case.  I know better than to argue with her!

I was in my bedroom when I heard a terrible crash and then my mother scream.  Ran to the kitchen to find her laying on the floor.  My god it was a terrible sight to behold. Made sure she was alright as I ran to get pillows and stabilize her before I tried to move her.

I tried as hard as I could to lift her off the floor but with my bad back and in her weak state she was unable to help me.  Ran outside to see if any of the neighbors were out but it was Christmas and not many were home.  Saw a light at the neighbor across the street, he too was just about to leave but he and his son came to my aid and effortlessly lifted her off the floor.

She was fine just her arm was scraped up a bit so I cleaned up the wound and bandaged her up. One thing was clear we were NOT going to the local hospital's Emergency Room. She was lucky because she slid off the chair when she fell asleep and did not actually fall while walking.  Either way it was not a pleasant situation.

I am so glad I was home, I would hate to think of her laying on the floor for hours waiting on me to come to her rescue.  It is at times like this that I wish I had family and friends close by.

Not much else happening.  Walter has been here for almost a week but I wrote about that on his blog.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.



Spurs Corner

We lost the last two games but even Pop seemed to take it in stride.  The December schedule has been brutal with many back to back games, not to mention the overtime they have had to play.

I am more concerned about Kwahi's hand.  Did not like what the doctor said about not having seen an injury like that in 40 years.

What a difference a day makes

Yesterday we had a high of 92 and tonight it is supposed to get down to 33 degrees.  As I type this it is 36 degrees but feels like it was 29.  For me that is pretty darn cold.

I drove dad's old car into town today...had driven for about four miles when I reached the first stop light.  It felt like it wanted to die...at the next stop light it did die...but started right back up.  Wonder what is wrong with that crazy car?

Went to Wal-Mart and when I came out...the front had arrived...the wind was blowing like crazy. Bet the temperature dropped at least 25 degrees and of course I did not have my jacket with me. Was going run more errands but decided they could wait and went to Domino's Pizza instead, then headed straight home.

Once more turned on the central heater and it will remain on for at least the next two days.  I do not do cold weather except in Terlingua around a roaring campfire...I sure do miss my favorite desert and my friends :-(

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

How could I forget about the plants!

I tell you, I think my CRS is getting worst by the day!  I was well aware there was a cold front on the way, moved a lot of things on the northern part of the house to the back bathroom/shed/catch all room but forgot all about the plants!

Early this morning I heard the rain and wind and woke up in a panic remembering I had not brought them in. My mother's avocado tree came to mind as well as my poor hanging baskets. Where is my jacket?  Oh yeah...it is still caked in mud and sitting in dad's old car waiting patiently for me to take her to the laundromat :-(

Grabbed a towel and draped it around me...went to bring in the plants and along with them...more mosquitoes!!!  Turned on the heater and went back to bed.

I love the first freeze...though it was not a real freeze as it only got to 39.  That is close enough to freezing for this early in the season...after all, it is still Autumn.

This afternoon I was tired...I laid down for a nap but had no idea it would be a three and a half hour one. When I woke up the clock read 7:57 and for a minute there...I thought I had slept through the night!

Good night, bundle up and may you all have Terlingua Dreams.

A Day to Stay Indoors

The wind started blowing like crazy very early this morning.  Though half asleep I could hear the tree branches rubbing against the roof and a whistling sound coming from the fireplace.  Today was a day to stay indoors if at all possible.

Spent it balancing my checkbook, paying bills and trying to get my receipts organized for whenever I decide to try to tackle my taxes.  I'm not in too big of a hurry...what is the rush?...after all I have until October :-)

I am trying to convince the guy that does my yard in Houston to sign up for Paypal.  It would sure cut down on stamps, checks and trips to the post office.  Even saw where Walmart is now accepting it as a form of payment.

Good night.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Cold and Windy

I woke up at 3:33 a.m. to the sound of a heavy downpour. Got up and looked out the window and was thankful that the rain predicted finally materialized. However, the heavy downpour only lasted five minutes and then it was just a light rain that ceased by 3:50 a.m.

For some unknown reason every time I have to go somewhere or do something important I cannot go to sleep…I hate that.  Early this morning I went to start up the car and brought it around the house.  Man, it was cold and windy!!  

This is not the type of weather that I would choose to go out in but we did not have much choice as mother had a doctor’s appointment and multiple errands to run.  Just as we were going out the door I heard the sound of a weed eater.  Yeap, it was Mata Gatos (Cat Killer) who finally decided to show up to finish cutting mom’s lawn (weeds).  Of all the beautiful days we have had since he came in December he decided to show up today on pretty much the worst day possible…go figure.

I am happy to report that I officially have a new checking account at IBC or should I re-phrase that and say “the gentleman and I whom unknowingly shared the same account number for four and a half years, now have separate new bank account numbers”.  I sincerely hope that this has served as a wake up call to their internal audit department as well as their management.

I do have to give credit to their branch manager who is a true professional and who addressed all my issues and concerns and made no excuses for her personnel.  I like people who are straightforward and honest. She is a great asset to the institution she works for.

You might ask, “Belinda why didn’t you open up an account at another bank?”  Have to admit that it did cross my mind, but up until the aforementioned incident I have never had any problems.  They are opened 7 days a week and most importantly they are the only bank in town that have a physical presence in Houston.

“Why is a physical presence in Houston important?”  I rarely if ever carry cash on me and if I have to pay to have my lawn mowed or do some repairs in my home I like to pay with a check.  The people that do this type of work usually do not have bank accounts thus the need for a physical presence so they can go cash them.

Mother and I were gone for about four hours.  When we came home I fully expected to find the lawn mowed, but he only weed ate around two trees and a bougainvillea shrub.  This is just totally unacceptable but I am going to stay out of this only because I do not want to upset her and she is after all the one who hired him and who is going to pay him, that is if he ever finishes.  Worthless, worthless, worthless…

Good night, it has been a long day.  May you all have Terlingua Dreams.

Labor Day 2011

Hope everyone had a great Labor Day.  My day started off early, a cold front came through.  Got to watering the plants and trees this morning so I would not have to do it this evening.  I was still half asleep when I saw fire coming from a house down the road.  With all the news about wildfires I turned off the hose and ran to the corner to see what was going on.  It was some idiot burning rubbish when this county is under a burn ban and has been for months.  Did I mention we also had wind?  Some people are so foolish.  Several cars stopped and he finally put the fire out.

We took Mom's car to town.  The brakes work but there is some loud noise coming from the motor, noise the worthless mechanic said was due to the fact that the car was old.  Funny it did not make that sound before he got a hold of it.  But I don't want to dwell on that or I will get upset.  Guess we will just have to learn to live with it :-(

This afternoon we took Dad's car for a spin around the block.  Runs OK but has a strong smell to gasoline.  I swear these cars are a big headache.  Sure wish I could find an honest mechanic but I think I have a better chance of winning the lottery.

Good night.  May you have Terlingua Dreams.