Bill's Blog

A Minnesota Thanksgiving

We have not been up to a lot since our return. I have been trying to get my airplane back into operation. This has required having a mechanic check it over and getting insurance. Neither has been completed yet, but I am hoping for next week. I have also talked to flight instructor, so that I can do my biennial flight review in the near future.
I did some yard work. Luckily there was no snow on the ground last week. So, I was able to get most of the leaves up that still needed to be moved. They are in two large piles out in the garden. I also got the rain gutters cleaned out. Finally, I started to move outdoor furniture into my porch. It all seems to be coming right along and none too soon with the snow coming today.
Betty has been in a super-house-cleaning mode. There was a lot of work: cleaning and scrubbing, and rearranging furniture and going through closets again.

One of the things that has surprised me the most is how different the traffic is in Minnesota. First, there is hardly any traffic. I find myself asking, "Where are all the cars?" It is such a breeze to get around; I love it. Oh yes, the roads are in fantastic condition and design compared to Argentina.

Another surprise was the ads in the Sunday paper and on Thanksgiving Day. We never saw anything like it in Argentina. When you are away, you forget how different some everyday occurrences are. Dozens of store ads is one big difference.

Sometimes I wonder about my own intelligence. Thinking about our return to the states and Minnesota for the holidays seems a bit crazy to me right now. You might ask: Why is that Bill? The answer is "The Weather." The days are already quite short with the sun coming up at 7:23 AM and setting at 4:36 PM. A quick calculation will tell you that there are 9 hours and 12 minutes of daylight possible each day. Truth is nearly every day has been overcast, which means that it has been very dark here. And then there is the temperature. The past week it has in the 40's, or about 7° Celsius, for daytime highs and as cold as 10° at night. That is -12° Celsius. Yesterday, Thanksgiving Day, was no exception to the cold weather with a low of 11° and a high of 22°, or in Celsius it was between -11° and -5°. Then the snow started this morning. It started with fine, light flakes that floated ever downward until there was four inches on the ground. Yes, I must question my ability to make good decisions, when I leave a warm, sunny, sunshine filled land for this black hole of weather.

Carving Time	Hot Cross Buns
Betty and Birgitta in the Kitchen	Gitta, Brian, Judy, Alex and Betty

Before the Feast

The Feast

Turkey Day Ads

Still it is good to be with my family again. My daughter, Birgitta, is as perky as ever. It has been fun to be back with her. My son, Dain, flew from Los Angeles to Minneapolis on the weekend. He is staying at a hotel, which is a bit odd to us. But I guess he likes it that way. He has been over a few times and that has been great. His partner, Marleta, has been in town too, visiting her family, although it has not been all fun for her - because her grandmother died last week.

Yesterday was a very special day; it was Thanksgiving Day. Betty went all out to cook a fantastic dinner. She roasted a beautiful fresh 24 pound (11 kilo) turkey with sage dressing. She made mashed potatoes and gravy, and candied sweet potatoes with maple syrup and pecans, and fresh bread rolls. Birgitta made Brussels spouts and I made red cabbage with cranberries - yes I mix the two ingredients. Then there was dessert after dessert. Betty made pumpkin pies and a beautiful carrot cake; and with Birgitta's help Betty made her first ever cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake, that was fantastically delicious. Birgitta mulled some cider for those who wanted it. Most of us drank wine. Thank God we brought home some good Argentinean wine. How I love the Malbec!

Dain and Birgitta and Betty and I sat down to enjoy this wonderful feast. Our good friend Alex St. Croix, my brother - Brian, and his wife, Judy, joined us for dinner. Brian and Judy had question after question about Argentina for us. We tried to answer them and to shed a good light on the land that we so much enjoyed for the past year. As usual I ate too much. It is hard to stop when there is so much good food. Brian and Judy had to depart about 5:00 PM so they could visit her brother, Dave. About an hour after they left my sister Gay Lynn came over to enjoy dessert with us. She stayed for hours and we talked and talked and talked. That is what happens when you don't see each other for a year. I love my brothers and sisters; and it is great when you see them after being apart for such a long time.

Today has been quiet for me, but Betty and Birgitta went shopping. Today is the second biggest shopping day of the year and they heartily joined in. I tried to fix a TV that broke down while we were in Argentina, but I had no luck and we will have to trash the set. In the evening we joined Dain and Marleta at satirical comedy show that poked fun at US politics. The ensemble, called the Capitol Steps, has been satirically making fun of our national leaders since 1981. Birgitta found it hilarious. I would say my response was more reserved. Sometimes I think that our political system, especially at the national level, is so sad, so sick that it is hard to laugh at. You can judge for yourselves, if you download one of their song parodies at their web site.

Back to the USA

The past week has been all about getting ready to leave and saying goodbye to Argentina and our friends.

People came by to pick up the things they bought in our online moving sale.
Ingo and Elisa came by. They got a few extra things. Like all of our friends, we will really miss them. Others came to take the vacuum cleaner, easy chairs, a sofa and straight chairs. Finally on Saturday, the futon went to Pablo Laurito and our bedroom set was pickup by Arturo, Marisol's son.
The strangest part of the selling our stuff came on Thursday. While I was out with Daniel, Paula came by to pick up a small table, Betty's bike and the kitchen stuff. I had met Paula at a Talkarama meeting, she seemed nice and had come by early in our sale to claim the items. She had also been at our big party the week before, having enjoyed our hospitality greatly. Betty had gotten everything ready and it amounted to several boxes. Paula's friend got it all for 100 pesos and we had paid several hundred pesos for originally. I had asked Betty to only keep one pan, so that we might be able to cook on our last two days. Paula saw the pan we held out when she first came. She went off on Betty, when she did not get it. She insulted Betty up one side and down the other. She even began to try to say some mean things about me. She was a total bitch! In Argentina we are known as very generous and loving people. Betty told her to get out of the house and if she didn't want the gear, just to leave it. Finally she took the stuff and left. What a bitch!Betty was quite upset. She is not used to people calling her stupid and evil and a liar.

Press HERE to see a slideshow of our final month in Buenos Aires.

Bill, Betty and Bebe	Bill, Ernesto and Brad	Laura and Her Dog
Savino and Bill	Bill, Laura and Brad	Laura and Bebe

One day I made it by the gym to say goodbye to my trainer Daniel. I had not worked out for a month. I have put on some weight in the past month. I should not have quit. My only excuse is that we have been so busy with all the last minute visitors and getting read to leave.

On Wednesday, the 9th of November, we met with Maria Ines and her son. Luke had asked us to join them as he looked over her apartment for a possible rental in the future. It was great to see Maria Ines and Nicolas for the last time. After the meet, Luke and I went out for lunch in Palermo. I love that neighborhood. It would be the last time I would visit it and it would be the last time I will see Luke in months to come.

Later on in the evening, we had dinner with Laura's parents - Beba and Savino. Her brother, Ernesto, and her friend, Brad from Arizona, also were there. The food was fabulous. It was Ukrainian food, varenki with chicken broth - along with some good fried chicken. I had not enjoyed a meal as much as this in months. You might ask why that is. Simple, I love ethnic food, which is a rarity in Argentina, and it was so wonderfully prepared. It was a great night with family and good conversation. We could not have asked for more.

On Friday night we visited Pablo Laurito's house where he lives with his parents, Mario and Maruca. Our friend Daniel was there as were Elizabeth from California, and Pablo's mom's cousin, Mónica and her boyfriend, Matías. Pablo lives in a suburb that I think is called Hurlingham. It seemed like it took forever to get there, probably because we took surface streets. Their house is new and beautiful. We had a wonderful meal. Particularly great was the homemade lasagna. We also ate way too much: chicken, salad and strawberries for desert. It was wonderful. We had a fabulous night with good people.

About mid week the packing and getting ready was in full swing. We were pretty stressed all week long. Trying figure out what to keep and what to leave behind was not so easy. And most everything needed to be left behind.
Saturday was moving out day. We were packed and all the things that we were giving to Javi and Guille were boxed up. We sent our last email messages and made our last call to Birgitta on the VOIP phone. I had wanted to go to the horse races, but I missed them. It was just too late in the day by the time we got to Javi's mother's house. Still we had a nice lunch and a nap.

Betty, Maria Luz and Bill

Guadalupe, Marita, Betty, Maria Luz, Bill and Alberto

Saturday evening, we went to Talkarama. A train breakdown forced us out of the train and into a taxi, but eventually we made it. We chatted all night with our friends then had dinner and went home about 1 AM.

We had a lazy Sunday afternoon with Javi and Guille. Javi made an assado. How I love the meat in Argentina! US beef is good, but not up to the standard of Argentine lomo.
Laura stopped by for a last visit and to say good bye to us. She is one of the kindest and most openly friendly people we have had the good fortune to meet. We will both miss her.
In the evening we went to dinner with Alberto and Marita and their children: Javier, Maria Luz and Guadalupe. It was wonderful to be with them. We will miss them and their thoughtful conversations.

We rose at 3:00 AM Monday morning. We had a 6:00 AM flight to Sao Paulo. Everything went well, getting there and getting off on the first stage of our return home. Two hours later we were in Sao Paulo. An hour later we were on our way to Miami. Eight or so hours later we were in Florida. The only hitch at the airport was the AirTran weight restrictions. We spent 20 minutes rearranging out stuff so that only one bag was over weight. It really pissed us off. The different standards that they had came as a great surprise. Four hours later we were on our way to Atlanta. Then we waited again to catch a flight to Minneapolis. We arrived about 12:30 AM in Minneapolis. It was 2:00 before we got to bed, some 28 hours after getting out of bed in Buenos Aires and 30∞C lower. It is cold here and it will take some time to adjust to it.

These will not be my final words on Argentina. In the weeks and months to come I hope to write a series of commentaries about the country. They will be available at my web site.

Winding Down with the Canadians

Before I get into heart of my entry, I want to tell you about the story that Luke Rader wrote. He has begun to write a series of very funny little stories about Argentina. They are extremely fanciful. I think that he refers to them as urban myths. Whatever they are, they are funny and I love them. I have included the outline of the first one that he sent to me in this entry. I hope that you enjoy it too.

Steve left jus three weeks ago. As I said in my last entry, no sooner did he leave than the Nicholsons arrived from Canada. Jimmy and Lise are a delightful couple and good company. We took the opportunity to visit some new restaurants with them. Like a day or so after they arrived we went to Polermo with them to visit Social Paraíso. It was a lovely old restaurant with excellent foods and wines. Later that night we stopped at Olsen's for a drink. We took them to La Viruta one night to try the Tango. They came over and spent a day with us between their visit to Igauzu and their visit to Mendoza. The really loved visiting both places. When they got back from Mendoza, they decided to step up a notch and stay at a hotel in the Palermo neighborhood. We had diner one night with them near the hotel at La Cádedra, another very fine restaurant. They moved in with us just last Friday and stayed with us until they left on Monday

During the past three weeks I have had lots to do. Some of what I have been up to has been pure fun, and other things preparations to leave. The primary preparation has been my electronic online Moving Sale. I created a web page that had pictures and prices for all our stuff. I created an ad on Craig's List for Buenos Aires and then posted a link to my web page. Yes, Craig's List has listings all over the world. I mentioned my Moving Sale in my last BLOG notification and soon I began to get calls. I have sold just about everything. And people will come later in the week to pickup what they have not taken yet. This Saturday everything will go and we will have to move out, not because the rent is not paid but because there will be no bed.

The other thing that I started doing about a month ago was going to a Saturday evening event called Talkarama. I have met a lot of interesting people on those Saturday nights. Daniel and Pablo had asked me many times to join them at Talkarama.. They are a couple of my best friends here and it was inevitable that we would start to hangout on Saturdays. We meet in Puerto Madero and talk from 7:00 to 9:30. Then we usually head a half-mile or so to a restaurant in San Telmo. After eating many will go to one of the hundreds of great pubs in San Telmo. It makes for a great evening of socializing. On one of those Saturdays Betty came with me. We did not join the others afterwards that night, because we had a dinner date at Don Ernesto's in San Telmo. We had dinner with Marisol and her son Arturo. Maria Ines and her son Nicolas and his girl friend were there too. Marisol had also invited one of her best friends and her son. Arturo had decided to buy Dain's camera and our bedroom set and we closed the deal. So, Saturdays have been a lot more fun this past month.

Saturday we hosted our last party in Buenos Aires. At least 50 people came. We tried doing less and having more fun at this party. It seemed to work. Jimmy and Lise Nicholson were a great help. Jimmy did the grilling of the hotdogs and hamburgers. I had made a huge pot of Texas Chili the day before. Laura brought Ukrainian dumplings. Marisol and Maria Ines brought some interesting food too, most notably an eggplant dish that was great. I also made Salsa Cruda, which continues to be very popular among some of my friends. I have included a recipe for it. Many people brought wine. We drank more wine that ever before. I tried to get people to drink the hard liquor we have, because it ain't coming home with us. It was absolutely great fun. They ate everything that we prepared. The chili went first. The other thing that was different about this party was that people started bringing their friends. So there were a dozen people that came that I had never met before. I will let the pictures below tell the rest of that story.

The last guests left a little after 4:00 AM. I was exhausted but still could only sleep about five hours. Despite dragging we took the Nicholsons to the Mataderos Fair on Sunday. It was our last visit there, so I bought lots of stuff. We had a great meal. My favorite foods there are the country dishes like a stew called Logro, and empanadas and humita de choclo.

Yesterday in the morning, I transferred my car to Javier. He will need the four-door sedan when the baby comes. In the late afternoon, we drove the Nicholsons to the airport. I know they had a heck-of-a-time. We enjoyed their company and becoming good friends, too.

Luke, Jimmy and Matias	Marisa and Marisol	Lidia and Me	Lidia, Betty, Elisa and Ingo
Laura and Lise	Irish Tom and Mario	Lidia and Susana	Martin, Jimmy and Matias
Andrea, Esteban, Sergio and Pablo	Guillermo, Esteban and Nicolas with Four Ladies	Mario, Gonzalo, Andrea, Monica, Sasha, Carrina and Gustavo	Pato, Gonzalo, Gustavo, Ingo, Elisa and Daniel
Me and Abraham	Gustavo, Javier and Guadalupe	Griselda and Daniel	Guilad, Betty, Tom and Marina

Betty in Black

In the Garden

Sergio Olinski

Mariana Passo

Daniel Grimberg