About San Bernadino

After one month in Desert Hot Springs in a situation that ultimately did not pan out, I decided to hang out in Tijuana until I start another trek to Texas in a week.

As timing would have it, I was at the Otay Mesa border crossing when the San Bernadino mass shooting aftermath was in full swing.  Which means I am reading all the articles and editorials about the incident in a city where you see the Mexican army out on patrol M-16s at the ready.  Also, everyone asks me about my personal safety here.

First off, about my personal safety.  Tijuana is a place where using your Urban Survival Skills is essential.  Also you need to put that smartphone away if you are walking.  The sidewalks are really dangerous here and if you are not careful you may trip, fall and really hurt yourself.  So, yes, I do feel safe here.  It's another story, but I also find it amusing that the slogan on police cars here is, "Working to serve you better!!"

With that out of the way, I think it's really scary that the US is a country that will not lift a finger for whatever reason to address the fact that someone with issues can go out, obtain an arsenal of assault weapons, and go out and massacre people.  The most Republican politicians can offer in the US is the now trite, "thoughts and prayers for the victims."

And Democrats are not doing much better.  They should be screaming at the top of their lungs that something needs to be done because it is imperiling the security of the United States.

So, when is action going to be taken on this one?

Haircuts

For the first time since July, I got my hair cut in the US.

No, that does not mean my hair was so shaggy it was out of control.  In the interim I got my hair cut twice in Mexico.

The first instance was related to the quincañera I went to.  Rick's grand nephew offered to cut my hair when I told him I needed one, and I got to meet his family in the process.  The whole thing went well and it was interesting that I got my first ever juried haircut.  Between his aunt, his nephews and the dog barking its comments, the young man's job was thoroughly evaluated.

The second time was equally interesting in that I got it done at a high end barbershop in Tijuana.  I was a little sticker shocked at the price, but he did a really nice job and I would go back in a heartbeat.

Which comes to this version.  It was good, but if you thought I got sticker shock with the haircut in Tijuana, the one in Palm Springs really sticker shocked me and reminded me as to how much farther the money goes in Mexico.

So, we will see where I get it done next.  The US or Mexico.

Now That I Am In the Same Place for A While ...

I can catch up on this blog.

First off, Happy Halloween.

Second, I have completed the Heritage Tour that encompassed US and six Mexican states.

One birthday celebration, two reunions and hanging out at the beach were the orders of the day.

And some work.

So, what I will do is spend the next few posts recapping the trip.

Right now, however, I am getting ready to go out for Halloween for the first time in who knows how long.  When I lived in San Francisco, it wound up being downright unsafe to be out on Halloween because Halloween in the Castro was so out of control.  Now that I am in the Coachella Valley, it should be calmer and a friend and I will be venturing out to see all the adult ghosts and goblins in Palm Springs.

Enjoy your Halloween, whatever you do.

Day Three of the Heritage Tour

When I discuss my trip that will take me to San Antonio, Piedras Negras and Mazatlan; I refer to it as the Heritage Tour.  The intended start date of the extravaganza was to be next Wednesday.  I also intended to start the trip in San Diego, California.  Instead, it started on Wednesday in Desert Hot Springs, California.

If there is anyone to blame for that one, it would by my amate.  You see, he completely flaked on a date.  In the process, I met and spent some time with someone who was engineering a move from Little Elm, TX (It's a suburb of Dallas) to Palm Springs, CA for health reasons.  We exchanged Facebook info and communicated that way for quite some time.  He also spent time with me in July 2014.

Fast forward to now.  I am based in San Diego and he in Desert Hot Springs.  I spent time with him last week and he asked if I could see him after my trip ended.  Since all that means is that I enter the US at Mexicali instead of Tijuana as intended, I said yes.

So, here I am in Tijunana hanging out and taking care of a few things before I get on the combination of the Pacific Surfliner and Sunset Limited to go to San Antonio.

More to come.

Missing Radio Shack

The demise of Radio Shack created a problem for me last week.

I needed a USB cable that attached to a mini (not micro) USB plug so my camera and laptop could communicate.  In the not too recent past, that would have meant a trip to a friendly, neighborhood Radio Shack to get the appropriate cable.

No longer.

It meant that when I was in San Diego, instead of walking or taking the bus to the Radio Shack in Hillcrest, I had to trek to Fry's Electronics to get the cable, and I was glad I was consolodating the task of getting a Six Dollar Cable with three other errands and had a time constraint the justified my trekking around San Diego in a BMW X1 thanks to Zipcar.

Are you listening Hillcrest Ace Hardware?

Anyway, the camera is ready, willing and able to trek on the Grand Heritage tour with me in October.  What was on the memory card is now on a travelogue and I have room for 1,200 pictures for my Heritage Trip.

Now, if only I can get my bank on board.

I found out I am a lifetime member of the club.

Yesterday, I came back to the US after a fun filled week in Tijuana.

I am now in San Diego and yesterday on the Trolley I met a woman who was with her kids and husband.  She mentioned that he was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.

I told her how my heart went out to her, because I had dealt with Rick's dementia for four years.  I also gave her a sympathetic ear when she mentioned how cruel the disease is for everybody involved.  It was really a sad moment hearing her tale of woe and realizing when she wheeled her husband off the Trolley the kind of hell she is going through as her husband's cognitive function fades away more and more because I have been there.

The encounter made me realize how much the experience of going through the Dementia Journey has redefined who I am, and, to an extent, what I want out of life.  I also now realize that going through it is now a part of who I am.

Now that I have done some soul searching it's time to fold laundry, work until Monday Night Football comes on.

One month later

Well, it's been a month since I left San Francisco.

Good news: I'm happier.

Bad news: I still haven't found a place.  I have decided to deal with that issue after my trip in October to San Antonio and Mazatlan.

Two things are standing out.  First, I don't miss San Francisco in the least. That was reinforced when I read a story of a cyclist participating in Critical Mass terrifying a motorist as he damaged her car.  I'm glad I am outta there!

Second, I didn't realize how much I would be reminded of Rick now that I am down south.  It's mostly along the lines of either, "Rick would love to be doing this," or, "Rick would roll his eyes in the back of his head because I am doing this, and not be at all surprised."  With regard to the latter, I now know where to get a great Philly Roll in Tijuana!  Now all I need to do is find a good Dim Sum place.

But before I do that, I need to get some water, get some work done and venture out to watch soccer all night.