JUST ANOTHER DAY IN BUENOS AIRES

WELL, HERE IS THE 'GIRL'S' PERSPECTIVE OF BUENOS AIRES. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY AWSOME SHOPPING HERE. THE EXCHANGE RATE IS GREAT AND THE ECONOMY IS STILL RECOVERING FROM THEIR 2000-ISH FINANCIAL MELTDOWN. IT IS NOT SO GOOD FOR THE ARGENTINES, BUT IT IS GOOD FOR SHOPPERS.

I REALLY DO NOT! GO TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES TO SHOP...REALLY. I HAD READ ABOUT ARGENTINA AND EVERY WEBSITE-OR-BOOK TALKED ABOUT THE GREAT DEALS. LEATHER WAS MENTIONED OFTEN...AS THE OTHER BIG PRODUCT IN ARGENTINA IS BEEF.

SO I BOUGHT A LEATHER-SUEDE PURSE FOR MY DAUGHTER ALEXANDRA'S BIRTHDAY. AND I LIKED THE SHOPS SO MUCH I BOUGHT A FEW FOR MYSELF. THE HANDBAG I BOUGHT FOR MY DAUGHTER IS MADE FROM A TYPE OF SUEDE FROM THE CAPYBARA ANIMAL...WHICH I BELIEVE MAY BE A GIANT RODENT... I HOPE SHE LIKES IT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I WILL BE SENDING HER HERE TO RETURN IT. I OPTED FOR STANDARD COW LEATHER.

I WISH I HAD SAVED UP MORE MONEY. MOSTLY EVERYTHING IS A BARGAIN.

(I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I AM USING ALL CAPS BECAUSE SPANISH KEYBOARDS ARE QUITE DIFFERENT AND I CAN NOT FIND THE KEY TO CHANGE THE CASE.)

THE FIRST DAY IN BsAs WAS RAINY. TODAY WAS HOT AND MUGGY. IT FEELS A BIT LIKE HAWAII....ONLY I AM QUITE LOST WHEN WE WANDER THE CITY.

RAY'S SPANISH IS COMING BACK TO HIM SLOWLY. AND NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON. I CAN USUALLY GET BY WITH A QUICK GAME OF FOREIGN-LANGUAGE CHARADES, BUT IT IS NICE WHEN I DON'T HAVE TO!

FOOD HERE IS GREAT. STEAKS REALLY ARE GREAT. THE FRUIT IS VERY FRESH. THE BUTTER IS AS GOOD AS SWISS BUTTER. WHAT MORE IS THERE? TAXIS ARE ABOUT $3. I WAS NOT SURE ABOUT BsAs, YESTERDAY...HOWEVER, I FOUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF RICOLETA TODAY. WE WERE NOT IN THE FANCIEST PART OF RICOLETA BUT I THINK I COULD LIVE THERE.

OF COURSE, YOU HAVE TO KNOW THAT THE RUNNING JOKE IS EVERYWHERE I GO I SAY THAT I COULD LIVE THERE...HAHA...

IT'S NOT TRUE. I COULD NOT LIVE IN MALTA OR TURKEY. AND I DON'T GO NUTS OVER GREECE. BUT THE FEEL OF RICOLETA IS THAT OF PARIS WITH A SUNLAMP OR ROME WITH PARISIAN ARCHITECTURE.

THIS PLACE IS REALLY INTERESTING. I WANTED TO SEE MORE THAN I HAVE TIME FOR...AND I ESPECIALLY WANTED TO SEE THE GRANDMOTHERS MARCH IN THE PLAZA DE MAYO. LONG STORY. I SUPPOSE I WILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO ARGENTINA AGAIN.

I HOPE OUR TRILOGY HOUSE IS STILL THERE!
HUGS,
RAY AND TINA

Migraines

Well, I'm too sick to go to Red Hat Luncheon, as I have had a migraine for two days.

Last night, Ray and I saw a DVD called "The Real Age Makeover". It has some doc who tells you how to make your body younger through various techniques such as: diet, exercise, stress-management, etc., and I swear I felt better after eating an avocado. Wow, that video even got Ray to go out and get some raspberries. Maybe now, Ray won't try to tell me that white bread is a food group.

Unfortunately, the DVD also tried to tell us that carrot cake is not a veggie even though there is a carrot made of frosting on the top of the slice.

Hope this all makes sense because I am on two different kinds of drugs and I'm somewhat more groggy and ditzy than on my usual days. Just don't let me near a credit card when I feel like this and I'm online. Only God knows what kind of crazy things I might buy...especially in the Amazon book section or the Betmar hat department.

If I'm too wiped out for Red Hat Club (my favorite thing), I wonder if I'm too wiped out for packing. I hate packing. It is one of those necessary evils.

Can I just wear the same black dress everyday? Probably not! And then it comes down to hats. How many hats can I cram into one suitcase? Twenty sounds about right at the moment. Maybe that will make the one black dress look good.

Black Friday

Well, it's Black Friday, which means that for us gentlefolk... we are almost up to Red December. If you know where Black Friday gets its name, you will get the joke.
Ray and I just got back from a lovely, snow-filled, radar-trapped, windy, marathon drive to Idaho and back. We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Gregoire-de-Boise. That's supposed to be a play on words, as our last name was originally Gregoire de Blois back in the 1600's or thereabouts. I don't know what Blois (pronounced blwah) means, but Boise (the Idaho town) is French for "the woods".
Anyway, we had a wonderful time with Scott, Meg, Maddy Moo, Kenzie Roo, and Stanley. The pictures on Ray's Blog are not the best, but you get the idea. (I took the pics.) The food was fab. The grandchildren were a blessing. Scott and Meg were truly loving hosts. I love them all dearly. I had so much fun playing with the two girls. Maddy and the adults decorated pinecones with glitter glue. All of us gorged ourselves on turkey, stuffing, potatoes and two pies.
I'm now hoping to get a subscription to Jenny Craig for Christmas, as I can't think of anything I need more...except peace on earth.
Hope that the Gregoire de Boise' had as much fun as we did. We really appreciate everything that Scott and Megan did for us. I am looking forward to seeing the Spudcrew again, though we might take a plane over next time, and skip the road-trip part.
Hugs to everyone. Hope you are reading this, Meg.
Christina Gregoire de Blois

The Ten Best Things about Cruising

1. Everyone smiles at you even if they hate you.
2. Your room follows you wherever you go, assuming you synchronize your watch with the captain’s.
3. Crème Brulee and salmon can be sent to your room 24 hours a day, for no additional charge.
4. The same t-shirts are available at every port.
5. Your husband may actually wear something other than jeans and sneakers.
6. It is a wonderful place to show off your chic nautical phrases such as, “Is that port or starboard?”
7. You realize how much you love and rely upon Google.
8. No one really knows how to call you.
9. You meet more Indonesians in one day than most of your friends will meet in a lifetime.
10. You only have to spend 2 hours in a city you don’t like.

A Gal's Perspective

Here is my perspective on our travels and travails. Bon voyage.