Contrasts

Talk about change - while I sit here at the computer peeling large chunks of skin from my sunburned body (a result of our trip a couple of weeks ago to Puerto Vallarta), it now raining for the third time in the last 24 hours!  Once with extremely loud bangs, once with no thunder/lightning, and the latest time with only moderate t/l.  What a difference.

Not that our PV trip was without precipitation,  Although largely sunny and dry (not counting the humidity -- what ever made me think I'd want to live there?), the last night was a gusher.  We were sitting outside at a restaurant on the malacón and rapidly moved inside after watching others dash here and there for shelter.

But three times in twenty-four hours?  That's a new record for us, to be sure.  (And there's still time for another cloudburst to roll in....)

In other news, we've decided to pull the plug on Club 33.  With the remodeling of the Club and institution of a new, higher class of membership (Platinum - which seems to be populated with people who have too much money and very little sense), Club management has begun a push to eliminate Golds (the former top level of membership).

They have offered Golds the opportunity to upgrade to Platinum without paying a new initiation fee and pro-rating the dues.  (Some Plats are upset with this; whatever.) And to help that along, they are rumored (the notices come out this month) to be raising the current Gold annual dues nearly double!

Since we haven't been able to visit the Club since fall of 2012, it would appear to be good money thrown after bad if we were to simply renew.  And upgrading is out of the question altogether.  Fourteen thousand dollars a year in annual dues (and rising) is not in the budget by a long sight. Our friends whom we have sent to the Club when they visit Los Angeles will miss out, but they're not paying for it!

My next post will probably be happier, now that the decision has been made.  At least we'll be able to visit the club when we're at Disneyland for a wedding at the beginning of December (and still members)

And there's always the next cruise to talk about! 

Nearly There -- or, is that Here?

When I filed for a renewal passport on September 9th, I was given an estimate of 3 - 4 weeks.  And it seems to be true!

After filing the paperwork and paying the fee at our Consulate's office, I was sent to the DHL office in Centro to arrange (pay for) secure delivery.  They gave me a Waybill number for my trouble.

And although their website has always shown 'We don't have a record of this number,' it finally reflected a shipment to San Miguel yesterday.  Repeated visits to the website has shown its progress from Ecatepec (a large suburb of Mexico City) through leaving Mexico City's hub at half-past midnight early this morning.  Not sure if it will stop off in Celaya on its way to SMA, but the Consulate's estimate if proving correct.

Once I have the document in my hands, we'll be ready for our next trip to Orlando and a week-long cruise November 1st!  That and 25 pesos will get me a small cappuccino and two rollies at the Mega coffee bar next door!

ADDED - And I do have the new passport in hand!  Followed its track through Celaya and on to SMA, then zipped downtown (okay, walked downtown), stood in line, and picked it up!  I think the clerk was surprised that I was there so soon after it was delivered.

In other news, our cruise line (Disney, of course) has posted shore excursions for one of our B2B2B cruises next May.  Not sure why they chose the middle cruise (Northern European Capitals) to put up first, but that's what popped up on their website yesterday.  We've picked out likely suspects, though we can't book them until the end of January.  A lot more choices than the private tour company we were looking at (Swan Lake in St Petersburg - with or without a backstage visit, anyone?) and a bit more pricey, but still reasonable.  More time at the attractions and options, and less time on a tour bus, it seems.

We're thinking a tour of Tallinn, Estonia with a concert of medieval music and lunch; a visit to Holy Blood Cathedral (with an interior visit, versus walking past it) and a canal boat trip through St Petersburg; a combination Land & Sea tour in Helsinki; and a tour of Stockholm including a visit to the Vasa, a warship which sunk in 1628 on its inaugural voyage which has since been reclaimed and is on display.  We're still undecided about the Swan Lake performance in St Petersburg (the ship remains in port until nearly midnight to accommodate this, but it's so late!) and/or the visit to an Ice Bar in Stockholm.  If the timing works out, a tour to the Ice Bar may win out....

Can't wait to see what they have in mind for the fjords and the Transatlantic crossing!