Our First Week of Nine

Monday dawned a bit cool so I stayed inside.  There was vacuuming and straightening to do and I managed to get our garbage can front out.  It needed a repair to the wood and Ted arranged to take it to the wood shop.  He also went to the grocery.  We watched Outlander on my IPad since we don't have Starz and Tom and Eileen stopped by again.  They received an Instant Pot as a gift but have no idea how to use it.  I was making ribs so I told them how I would do that and gave her a Cheat Sheet on cooking times.  It was late when we finished dinner and we just settled in to watch TV.

Tuesday dawned cooler and rainy, worse than Monday!  Ted picked up our garbage cabinet front and the wood shop guy did an excellent job.  All they asked for was a donation!  He spent most of the day with Niles.  I picked up Vivian and headed to the hair salon.  She was so happy to have an appointment as soon as I arrived since this is her first time down here.  We made a stop for batteries at Dollar General before I dropped her off.  I was home just a short time before it was time for Mah Jong.  I sure am rusty and have not played much with last year's card so the hands are unfamiliar to me.  But it is all in fun and I should get better!  After dinner, Tom and Eileen asked us to go to a movie but Ted was settled in and didn't want to go back out.

I put our before-Christmas dinner ham bone in the slow cooker overnight.  Then I soaked navy beans in water overnight.  We had plans to attend the Expo on Wednesday in McAllen so I got up early, removed the ham bones and fatty lumps from the crockpot and after cooking the beans in the Instant Pot for 8 minutes, put it all together and set it to warm.  Tom and Eileen picked us up and we were able to get a good parking spot and covered a few aisles before the crowd grew.  We came home with over 10 bags, a dozen pens, magnifiers, pill boxes, glass wipes, mini flashlights, coupons, candy, T-shirts and lots of info on parks here in the valley, info on traveling to other states, scheduled entertainment, and lots of medical information and assistance.  We missed a door prize by one number!  

Tom and Eillen stopped during their walk and he helped Ted put our couch back in the "stoppers" to keep it in place.  It not only had slid out but had jumped in front of them so it took some muscle to lift it back over and into the slots.  It was probably a pot hole that sent the couch up and over the wood blocks!  

We had bean soup and cornbread for dinner followed by the Border Patrol in the neighborhood rounding up illegals.  Nine were apprehended.  Depending on their point of origin, they may be deported ... or given a court date two years out and roam freely until then.  However, there are few that return for that court date.  But no crisis here!  

I opted for the ladies breakfast Thursday morning.  When I tried to order the kiddie breakfast plate I was told I had to be under 12.  I told her I was 11.  She had no sense of humor!  My understanding has been that it is age discrimination to deny you access to something on the menu based on your age. I didn't want to make a fuss so I ordered a plain omelet which is what she brought.  And charged me $9, 50 cents more than a Hombre Omelette that had 3 vegetables, a meat, potatoes and toast!  When I questioned my bill the owner said it isn't on the menu ala carte because no one asks for it so he didn't have a price but knocked off $1.  I told him that maybe people don't ask for it because it isn't on the menu!   I should have ordered two orders of eggs all cooked together. 

Tom and Eileen came over to play Mexican Train Thursday night and twice we heard the helicopters go up.  I love people in DC and NY telling the world we have no crisis on our southern border.  Last night's TV had a report on $22.5 million of cocaine confiscated in this area as the perpetrators rammed a gate, drove into the river and then swam the rest of the way back to Mexico!