What about the Drug Wars?

Yes, here NOB, that is what people as asking me. 'What about the drug wars? Aren't you afraid?' And who would not be asking that question about Mexico when the news is full of articles about the drug wars, not just between the cartels seeking domination but also about the Mexican government fighting the cartels to stop the traffic.

Reading the Houston Chronicle about the killing of police officers in Cuidad Juarez, about the bold threats by the cartels to the police and soldiers and about Mexican Police Chiefs seeking political asylum in the United States is enough to frighten anyone. So yes, I am afraid.....not for my immediate safety but I'm afraid for Mexico AND the United States over the long run. Somehow I don't believe that all of the bad stuff is happening South of the Rio Grande. How are all of these drugs making it across the border and into Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Minneapolis, Atlanta, and all of the places they end up. Who is getting paid off? At what point will the cartels decide to challenge the United States Government as they are challenging the Mexican government? At what point will they have used money and fear to infiltrate the USA police forces?

Are there drugs in San Miguel? Yes, I hear that there are users so there have to be sellers. But personally I'm not afraid in San Miguel any more than I'm afraid in Houston. Heck, when we lived in Houston we lived across the street from a house that was from time to time rented to small time drug dealers. You would know when drug dealers moved back in. There were cars speeding up and down the street in the early hours of the morning. Cars stopping and someone would come out of the house and then the car would speed off. The police would focus on the house and after a while the house would be for rent again.

So what about the drug wars in Mexico? Some writers in Mexico are suggesting that Calderon leave the cartels alone so they can go back to operating under cover. Sort of run a figurehead legal government and a underground drug government. Bad idea! Basically Mexico would then be a failed government.

What it all boils down to......If the citizens of the United States of America were not the customer for these drugs, Mexico would not have this problem with the drug cartels. Personally I think that we should remember our lesson from prohibition and legalize, tax and control drugs. It would take the profit motive away. I know that many consider this a radical, or maybe even a simplistic view of the situation.....so comments will be moderated and maybe even turned off. I don't want to lose my vacation glow of good feelings.

Comparison Shopping

Readers, I'm sorry that I'm not checking in more often but we are BUSY. However, I did promise you a comparison of prices between San Miguel de Allende and Houston. I finally had time to do it.

Here are the parameters of this comparison which is hardly comprehensive. The Mexican prices were recorded at Mega before we left and they were changed from kilograms, liters and pesos to equivalent pounds, quarts and dollars by my resident engineer, aka Ned. The exchange rate used was 10.35 to the dollar which was the rate when we left San Miguel but now it is about 10.1. The first numbers will be the equivalent cost from Mega in San Miguel and the second number will be the cost this week at Walmart in Houston. If I had compared the costs in San Miguel to some of the 'Flagship' grocery stores the prices would have had a much broader spread with higher prices in the Houston.

SMA.....Houston
eggs(see note 1) 1.65 doz.....1.42 doz
rice .76 lb..... .68 lb
bread 1.95 loaf..... 2.74 loaf
red beans .62 lb..... 1.16 lb
pinto beans .61 lb..... 1.06 lb
Barilla pasta .88 lb..... 1.23 lb
flour .57 lb..... .66 lb
tomatoes .68 lb..... .98 lb
iceberg lettuce .58 head ..... .98 head
delicious apples 1.19 lb ...... 1.38 lb
white onion .28 lb..... .50 lb
bananas .38 lb..... .48 lb
select rib-eye steak 5.70 lb..... 6.78 lb
whole chicken(see note 2) 1.30 lb..... .82 lb
medium shrimp 5.66 lb..... 6.38 lb
whole talapia 1.52 lb ...... 1.97 lb
hamburger sirloin 2.59 lb..... 3.32 lb

note 1 eggs..... we buy eggs at the tiendas near us for about 1.23 doz
note 2 whole chicken..... I saw chicken at other places in Houston for about $2 lb and I saw it on sale for .65 lb.

I was surprised at how often the prices were similar. I have always sensed that the prices in Houston were about one-third higher than in San Miguel but that didn't hold true in all cases. Of course this whole comparison hinges on where you shop. If you are shopping at the tiangus and mercados in San Miguel or if you are shopping at 'Flagship' stores in Houston your mileage will vary. I apologize for not figuring out how to set up a table to report the info but I wanted to get this posted. I hope you can figure it out.

Homesick

I'm not homesick yet, but I think Taylor the dog is.

While we were in Austin the three year old grandson made "friends" with Taylor. Taylor is getting on up in years and it was pretty "busy" for him. We came back to Houston on Sunday and all the way home Taylor slept. When we pulled up in front of Son #1's house, I opened the car door for him to get out. He sat up and looked at the house and turned his back to me and went and sat on the other side of the car seat.

I think he thought we was on his way back to his "home" in San Miguel. Yes, I think he is getting a little homesick.

Odds and Ends From Austin, Texas

We are in Austin visiting son #3 and family. Life is moving so fast that I can't keep up with the blog.

The weather has been wonderful. It hasn't been as hot as we expected. Son #3 is building a deck and so we have been trying to keep up with the boys so he can work. Notice I say "trying" because the three year old is a human dynamo. Sweet, sweet little boy but so much energy....and so much noise. You forget how much noise can be generated by little people. The eight year old is a whiz with numbers and math and into building intricate Lego Star War things. I'll be very surprised if he doesn't end up as some kind of engineer.

Yesterday, I was the cook so I went to the grocery store. One of those flagship kind of stores. I was there so long just wandering around looking that Ned called on the cell phone to check on me. I'm sure that there must be some similar grocery stores in Mexico but so far I haven't seen one with the variety, layout and cleanliness that I find in the States. I priced out some staple items at Mega in San Miguel and before we come back to Mexico, I will check out the same items and post the comparison on the blog.

I prepared a good dinner last night for my Austin vegetarian family. Pasta salad, heavy on the raw veggies, tomato with homemade mozzarella and basil, and a fruit salad. Thank God that Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream with chocolate syrup is on the vegetarian diet. That was dessert. Muy delicioso

I had lunch with my girl friends here in Austin who are photographers. So inspiring to hear what they are doing. Pat Brown brought a handmade book she made. The prints are tipped in and they are on rice paper. Lola had a brown thumb because she is using an old process called wet collodion plate and she had a small leak in her glove. I wish she had brought some of the prints. Kay was excited about project she is going to start in a few weeks when she gets back to Colorado for the summer.

We are having a great family time in Houston and Austin. So much to be thankful for.

Houston is Green

While we are South of the border in high, dry San Miguel de Allende, I forget just how green everything is in Houston. But it is green and the trees are huge with spreading canopies that sprinkle the lawns and streets with shade. There are ferns, and flowers and vines and hostas and shrubs.....all shades of green.

Most homes and even office buildings have "front yards" that are open to the public. Houses are set back 25 feet or more from the street so you get this feeling of green space everywhere you go. This is one of the things that I miss while living in San Miguel where some houses have lovely gardens but they are behind walls so you only get a glimpse of them if you catch a door open.

And the varieties of plants that will grow in Houston's heat and humidity is amazing. I loved my garden here. I like our patio and terrace pots and plants but I just don't get as excited about gardening in San Miguel as I did in Houston.

Mother's Day

Yesterday while I was in Target, I overheard this comment by a little boy about 8 years old to his sister who was a little older. They were looking in the jewelry counter.

"I think we should buy her real gold and diamonds."

Happy Mother's Day!

24 Hours in Houston

Whew! I don't know if we can keep up the pace. Since yesterday afternoon.......

We arrived in Houston just as Betsy came in from the grocery store and she had to leave again almost immediately to drive one of the car pools. We hauled luggage in, unpacked, hooked up the computer and Vonage phone, showered and dressed to go out for dinner. The grandsons came in from school with two friends. I had forgotten how much energy, noise and confusion that four boys can generate in a very short time and how they can put away food. Betsy put on a pizza for a snack for the boys then made a crab dip for cocktails. The grandsons and friends went to the Little League field for batting practice.

We had cocktails with one of Mike and Betsy's English friends who is in Houston for the Off Shore Technology Conference. Mike came in ran up the stairs to change to go coach a Little League team. The boys came back. A Mother came to pick up the visiting boys and stayed for a while to visit. Mike came in and he and the grandsons ran upstairs to shower so we could make our dinner reservation in 30 minutes. We went to Flemings, a great steak house for dinner because we can't do a Mother's Day dinner on Sunday due to the ball game/practice schedule. Son #2, Gary, joined us at Flemings. It was a great steak and a good time with the family. Finally about 10:00 PM I got to put my body straight out on the bed. It had already been a long day in the car before we arrived in Houston and that bed felt really good.

This morning it all started in again. Breakfast and off to Micro Center, Circuit City, and Target. For lunch, a bowl of gumbo, at Goode Company Seafood Restaurant. Back to the house to drop packages. Off to the Little League field to sit in the 1:00 PM sun to see grandson Jack play. Jack's team won so they go forward in the playoffs. From there we were off to Spec's, the liquor and wine store that covers a city block. As usual we had to wander the total store in amazement at the seemingly unlimited selections. We bought some wine for the house. Then back to the house.

All of this in just 24 hours. Everyone in this house is on the move. The ball game and car pool schedule is mind boggling. I really do hope we'll be able to keep up. And hopefully by the time I post again, I will have had time to make some pictures to add to the blog.