Hello on Friday Morning

Dear Friends,

Linda and I have returned from our Mexican adventure. We had a great time. I
could have given you daily updates, but we chose not to bring the laptop, or to
make our cell phone available while in Mexico.
I did hand write a daily journal, but you can read it when I publish my memoirs
or see it upon request.

Even though the flights to and from Mexico went as planned, my luggage never
made it back to Boston last evening. I was hoping to see it delivered to my
son's address here in North Tewksbury when I woke up this morning, but it did
not happen. The airlines claim that my luggage was on a different flight.

We are supposed to head back to Pittsfield today because Linda has a shower to
attend on Saturday, and they we are heading off to a Kentucky Derby party after
she returns from the shower.

As many people were leaving the resort that we were at, they were saying that
they were not looking forward to getting back to their daily grind, routine,
job, etc. Since Linda and I are lucky enough to be retired, we kept on saying to
ourselves: "What grind?" We will be going back to our daily routines, but those
are mostly fun activities, or activities which we chose to participate in.

Another thing that the Mexican resort did not have was newspapers. For eight
days, we tried to get our news from watching channels in Spanish. They did have
their version of ESPN Sports Center with Mexican announcers. Most sports
Channels spoke about world wide soccer. I did watch a couple innings of a Red
Sox Game in Spanish before we went off for dinner one evening.

I will give you an example of a typical day at the resort. I would wake up
before 7 AM and select chairs at poolside. I then would go about 50 paces to a
small gym for a light workout on the few machines that they had. I would go back
to the room and shower, and make enough noise to wake up Linda. We would either
head off to the breakfast buffet, or sit pool side until the Crepieri would
start making fresh crepes at 10 AM. While waiting for the Crepes, we would have
a fresh made Cappuccino or two.
After breakfast we would go pool side, and start off with refreshing Margaritas.
The pool side bar is open from 9AM until 11 PM each day. As you are sitting
poolside, waiters and waitresses would tend to your beverage needs. Since this
was an all inclusive resort, an occasional tip given when the drinks arrived
would give you a friend for life. Tips weren't actually required to be given out
since we paid for this all inclusive resort. At lunch we would have a choice of
the giant buffet off of the main lobby, are a snack bar buffet type of meal
where you sit down, and have waiters deal with your beverage requirements. They
had the typical hot dogs, and hamburgers, chicken wings, fruits, cold meats,
cheeses, salad making greens, fruits, desserts, yogurts, etc. For the evening
meal, you could back to the buffet room, or go to one of four restaurants. The
restaurants have full service gourmet meals from soup to nuts as the expression
goes. The food was spectacular. I am talking about meals that would cost $150 to
$200 per couple if we had to pay for them at a high priced restaurant.

Did we get tans while in Mexico? When people start talking to me in Spanish
(this was after a few days) because I look like a native, then I know that I
have a good tan. Linda is about a month behind me in the tan department.

Linda did like saying "Ola" to strangers everyday as we went anywhere on the
compound.

How was the water? The pool and the place in general was kid friendly. As we
watched some of the kids in the pool, I could visualize Linda and I with our
grandchildren, and their parents at a resort like this. The ocean was wonderful.
The sand never got hot to walk on even in the heat of the day. Linda and I had
purchased new water shoes, but we never needed to use them. There was never a
rocky bottom or coral to step on. The waves were fun, but not overpowering.

We left the resort yesterday with a Margarita in hand. The lobby has a full
service bar open 24 hours per day.

Well, I have to end the e-mail, and call the airlines to see where my bag is
located. I had asked them to deliver the missing luggage to Kevin and Kyla's
place, but the luggage tags have our Pittsfield address on them.

Have a great Friday. We hope to be in Pittsfield at some point today. The
Curley Lad