Never Too Busy for Tamales

These are very busy times. Everyday is begun with our list for the day which includes "must do" and "want to do". The want to do list usually reverts to another list, which is restaurants that we want to visit before we leave. Tuesday we had lunch at our favorite Charlotte delicatessen that has been open for decades, Leo's. Today was Leo's last day for business. There was a problem with the renewal of the lease, but hopefully, it will reopen at another location soon. At one time, it was the only place to get a pastrami or a decent Reuben in Charlotte. Mick loves the hot pastrami on rye.

My favorite is the Reuben.

This is Leo's.

Our belongings were picked up on Monday and we've been waiting for the cost. We thought we'd have it on Tuesday; one of the crates had to be customized, packed and weighed. The information had to go to corporate. We finally received the numbers at 5PM yesterday. Mick was given a award and offered a job with Carey Moving.

Joan and Mike were both in the office today and said the crate is designed for 1200 pounds. One had over 2000. They said that every inch had to have been used. We are shipping a total of 2735 pounds at a cost of $9200, which includes door-to-door, insurance, and port charges. The lift vans are being transported to Miami to a ship. We will receive updates through out the transport. The staff of Carey Moving, which is a part of Allied, have worked very dilligently in making our relocation as smooth as possible. The anticipated length is 25 to 45 days. I told Mick that by the time we get the crates that we will have forgotten what we packed and it will be just like Christmas!

This morning we drove to their office to pay. Payment had to be received prior to shipping. We saw the banded and marked lift vans, hopefully not for the last time. The one in front has been modified and is about 1/3 of the size of the second. I forgot the camera, so this is a phone shot.

The afternoon was reserved for a cooking lesson with Denis. Centhia was coming to help also. Mick insisted that the kitchen was too small for him and three women; therefore, he was leaving. The agenda today was tamales. Tamales are one of my favorite things. I've always wanted to make them.

I know that tamales are a part of many ethnic cuisines, including Cuban and Andean, and are always on the menus at restaurants. In the home, I've known them to be made only at holidays, perhaps because it is somewhat of a social event and it is extremely labor intensive.

We were going to make pork and cheese filled tamales. Last night I cooked a Boston butt with bay leaves, onions, and garlic. When Denis arrived, she made a sauce of guajillo chiles, garlic, and cumin. We pulled the pork and put it in the sauce to cook.


The masa had to be made. The corn flour was mixed with shortening, lard, pork broth, and leavening agents.

The masa requires much kneading, which was tiring. God bless the little ladies all over the world that sit on the street selling tamales. We all eventually used our muscles.

Here is Denis filling one of the husks.

Centhia made them as well.

This is our pot of tamales after being steamed.

The fruit of our labors!

Mick returned just in time for the reward. He sincerely said that they were the best that he had ever eaten.

We shamelessly gorged ourselves. Denis and I were both thrilled and Centhia was surprised. I will now be able to indulge our tastebuds with Mexican tamales during our future in Cuenca. They really were quite delicious. The tamales are comprised of such simple ingredients, but combined with the right know how, a perfect blend of flavor is created.

As we are bustling around taking care of last minute things, Nikolas is on his regular routine, going to daycare everyday. Below is Chelsea bringing him out for me to take him home.

When I picked him up, I told Renee about the tamales and she wanted some. Mick and I went back to take her some tamales. She agreed that they were great.

The list of things to do continues, but we continue to have time to visit with friends and go to places we want to see or dine in one more time. Our crates are on their way and very soon we will be also.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

It's Really Happening!

Recent days have been extremely hectic with last minute details, things to purchase, things to pack. However, we have taken the time to see friends. Last week, we had dinner and coffee with the Lances, who are planning a trip to Cuenca around February.

We also had met Monica Vaca and her friend Eric for dinner. Monica is from Bolivia and worked for us temporarily. She is delightful.

Saturday brought an interruption of our plans for dinner with Richard and Amy Griffin who live in Matthews and have Cuenca in their future also. We had to drive down to Aiken, SC, for an unexpected family matter, which gave the opportunity to say goodbye to cousins.

But today finally arrived, after much talk, much work, and much anticipation. Today, THE MOVERS CAME! We were expecting them to arrive between 8:30 and 10:30; therefore, Nick was, once again, shuffled off to daycare early. The moving truck rolled down our street around 10AM. All the boxes that had filled empty space for days were going to be carted away.

Mick and I had packed everything with the exception of large pictures and the floor lamp. Every box was stuffed with things that we felt would help with our transition to our new home. Below is the lift van. We had reserved two of them. The dimensions are 7 x 7 x 4 ft.

Before the boxes are packed, the crate, which is made of heat-treated wood and caulked, is lined with plastic.

The boxes were rolled out.

Scott expertly prepared the pictures, wrapping and then stuffing them in cardboard "envelopes".

The paper work was handled by Ralph. As we packed the cartons, extensive lists were made. The official inventory was done by Ralph, who was also the driver. Below is Mick signing off on everything. There were copies of our passports in addition to an EIN (employer identification number), which is obtained from the IRS.

One of the lift vans was completely and snuggly filled; however, the second would probably be less than half full. In the case of the second, the boxes were placed in the truck and the lift van will be modified when it reaches the warehouse. Tomorrow we will know the weight.

Scott closed and secured everything.

Ralph waved good-bye as they drove off with our belongings.

The truck sped away, just a step in a long process and a long journey. Our "weighted base line " for determining what we were shipping was "is it worth $4/pound to have this?" Roughly speaking, the shipping is costing $4 per pound; with that as a guide, it was much less expensive to ship some items than to purchase them there. Examples that are cheaper to ship are a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and the LED TV. Somethings don't involve cost, but the fact that they are essentially apart of you, photos, antiques and the like. It ends up being your preference and what is right for you. For Mick and me, this is what we wanted to do. The projected ship time is 30 to 50 days. I'm optimistic in saying the end of September, Mick, the realist, is saying mid-November. Whenever it happens, it happens. Until then we'll manage as we have been doing since we began selling and packing.

At any rate, in having a moving truck at our driveway, it makes everything seem REALLY real; this IS happening. The little bumps and inconveniences that we have and will experience along the way are all part of the journey.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Tacos, Tacos

When we began planning our final days at our home in Charlotte, we knew that the packing would taking priority. However, a MUST was to continue learning from Denis the art of Mexican cuisine. Denis is an excellent cook. Yesterday, after a little packing, time was spent in the kitchen. Previously, she had gotten us a tortilladora from Mexico. It is handmade and had to be packed for shipping. Below is a picture of this amazing device.

Denis is very much in her element in kitchen. She makes tortillas every morning and again in the evening. Today, I practiced making the masa and pressing the tortillas.

Mick helped out with the prep work for the tacos. Here he is chopping onions, cilantro, and lettuce. We were working with an almost bare kitchen. Denis would look for a utensil and I would remind her that it had been packed or she had it. There were a lot of laughs.

I do not yet have the finesse with the device that Denis does, so she gave further instruction.

Below is one of the finished products. The tacos were absolutely delicious and we all gorged ourselves. We used three different meat fillings, lingua, asado pork from Mexico, and ground beef. The seasonings were perfect. All were absolutely wonderful. I was quite proud of our finished product. These will be shared with our friends in Cuenca. Next week, we're making tamales; of course, Denis must bring a steamer.

There are many facets of preparation for our exodus in progress, one of them is Nick. He has been getting tests done and today, he had his teeth cleaned. Little did he know last night when I took the picture of him that he would be seeing a white coat today. He was a little trooper of course and his teeth are pearly white.

The packing must be completed tomorrow. Mick has a meeting in Lexington, again. Time is ticking away. The movers will be here on Monday and in less than three weeks we will be in a new climate, a new home.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Denis, Denis, Muchas Gracias!

Weeks ago at the beginning of our documenting our transition to Ecuador, we spoke of our "miss list". At the top of our list was Denis. Denis entered our lives last summer as "the housekeeper". Little did we know at the time that she would be so much more. She has become such an important part of our lives, enriching and teaching along the way.

Denis and her daughters, Stephanie and Miranda, were lovely. Denis is a very loving mother and is very proud of her beautiful girls. Ruben was absent from the affair because he was working late.

Denis's parents, Carmen and Samuel, were there.

Centhia and her daughter, Natasha, were there.

Natasha, 2, is a cutie.

Miranda is Denis's younger daughter. At 3 years of age, she is lovely and quite verbal. When we began discussing our task of learning Spanish, Mick said that his goal is to speak as well as a 5 year old after living in Cuenca for 5 years. After being with Miranda, he has changed that idea to the Spanish of a 3 year old.

Stephanie is beautiful 7 year old and quite a young lady, very poised. Her command of languages is unbelievable. She is able to switch back and forth from Spanish to English and is fluent in both. At Smith Language Academy, she is immersed in French and excels.

The dinner was delicious. Mick had carne asada with the trimmings.

This is the whole group, minus one.

Stephanie is especially sweet, she gave me her special sea shell as a gift.

We finished the meal with fried ice cream.

Some of us are especially enjoying the treat.


Miranda seemed to have enjoyed the evening, she wore it well!

It was a fun evening. We truly appreciated Denis allowing us into the family circle. Denis's parents are good people with strong values; they have instilled this integrity into Denis. Denis and Ruben are raising their children with those same values. Denis is a genuinely caring and hard working young woman that is striving for the best for her family. She faces everyday with a courage that many of us lack. Our lives have truly been enriched by knowing Denis. We will greatly miss the continuous presence of Denis in our home, but we're just an e-mail away. Denis you and your family are always welcome in Cuenca!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

The Best Laid Plans

"The best laid plans of mice and men go oft awry." Our day was all planned. Once again, Mick and I were going in different directions. He had to go to Lexington and Winston-Salem to deal with the estate matters and I was left to deal with packing. I know the original plan was to pack one day and take the next off. When it comes to packing, I've discovered that there is no equity, not every one gets a day off. My plan was to drop Nick off at daycare, run to Kohl's and then work on packing clothes with Denis.



Plans are subject to change. Nick went to daycare. I went to Kohl's. On our list of "things to get" was jeans. In that I'm a plus-size, rubinesque, pleasingly plump, whatever the politically correct terminology, Kohl's is a good place to buy "fat girl" jeans. So I got the jeans and another suitcase, we're currently planning on 7.



Plans are subject to change. Denis had called and said that her daughter was ill and that she was on her way to the doctor. I taped my carton and began folding clothes. I folded and folded and folded. When Mick returned around 2:30, I was just finishing my one carton. It's really amazing how many articles of clothing will fit into one of the cartons. The current count on the cartons is 13. We have a little more than a week to finish this task. We've moved the ship date up to August 9. I want it finished before next weekend. Mick still thinks that we'll have 2 lift vans; I'm hoping for 1. For all those who can move with only a couple of suitcases, God bless you; you are truly special people. In actuality, I think perhaps Mick could be one of you; however, he has me, so there is conflict.



Even though we plan, things don't always work out exactly the way we want, they work out the way they're suppose to. We're not fretting; we'll get everything done. We're retired and moving to Ecuador.



Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

When a Plan Comes Together

In the '80's TV program, "The A-Team," a repeating line of George Peppard's character, Hannibal Smith, was "I love it when a plan comes together". That line is ditto for Mick and me. It seems that our plan is coming together. Yesterday began with Steven from across the street arriving at 7AM to clean out the attics. I did not count how many loads of discard drove away. Steven helped Mick most of the morning and is a great worker. He is far more industrious than most of the young fellows that I have encountered.

After Steven left, Mick and I began packing, slowly drawing down our mountain of things. When we had finished, we had packed 7- 6.1 cu ft cartons. The crate will hold 24 with a little space left. Mick is concerned; he thinks we will fill 2 lift vans. We shall see. Denis was here in the afternoon and assisted with the pick up.

In the afternoon, our friend, Gilbert, was bumming and stopped by, having heard that we were moving. He had not believed it when he heard, but was shocked to see a primarily empty house. Gilbert is now a believer.

Yesterday, Nick left for daycare at 7:30 and we did not pick him up until 4PM. It was a long day for him, but he did not need to participate in the activities. This morning before going to daycare he had his regular grooming. He is looking quite the handsome boy.

In strategizing the packing efforts, we decided that we would alternate with work and other things. Yesterday was a work day. Today was a fun day; after all, we are retired now. We went out shopping today from the list. After checking prices in Ecuador, we decided that we would ship a TV, even with the cost of shipping, the savings are remarkable. HHGregg gave us a good price on a 40" Samsung LED TV. We were very happy.

Mick and I are both Top-sider people. Lots of stores have sales on them now, with back to school and the like; therefore, we were out and about on Saturday, stocking up on Top-siders. For us, they're a necessity. While shopping, I spotted a Sperry duck shoe that seemed very practical for Cuenca. We will be living across the street from the river, which is a good place to walk Nick. My regular duck shoes are lace-up, these are more practical, since they are slide-on. Belk Northlake did not have my size. Today, it took 2 stores before I found them. They're not beautiful, but practical. My feet will stay dry and so will Nick's in his new Muttluks.

Our list is decreasing in length as is time. This is all just so exciting. At night, we both have difficulty sleeping because our minds are so active, waking in the middle of the night remembering something that needs to be taken care of. Things have a way of getting done and every day is ending with a feeling of accomplishment.

I love it when a plan comes together!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

One Month and Counting

Sometimes it seems you wait your whole life for one event, it is finally within reach and then after waiting, there simply isn't enough time. Years ago "Dear Abby" printed a little tale in her column about the stages of life. The jist of it was that people have a tendency to overlook the present because they're so focused on the next major stage of their lives. For us, the present and the next stage of our lives has collided. One month from today we will embark on the greatest adventure we've ever encountered. Sometimes adventures are dumped into our laps and we take advantage. This one is planned, which lends to the excitement. In one month, we will be leaving life as we know it. We will be leaving our house of 23 years. We will be leaving our comfort zone. Most of our possessions have already been dispersed. Lists are important these days. A fleeting thought may end up being something crucial; therefore, it is imperative to jot it down. Not surprisingly, the lists have a reciprocal effect on our crate stuff. It's indirectly proportional; as the list decreases, the mountain increases. Mick is on the verge of panic because he's at the point that he is doubtful of 2 crates having enough space. The mountain below is just some of the items going. Somethings have not even arrived yet. The clothes still need to be boxed. We've got less than 3 weeks before the movers come. Nick peruses occasionally.

Again, a major task was accomplished today. We began packing the luggage, so at least a portion will be out of the way. Of the 6-70 pound pieces that we're allowed, 5 were done, with very little wiggle room. We have one more to pack plus the carry-on and that's what we'll live out of from August 12 until we get to Cuenca on August 26. There's quite a bit of clothing in the storage unit at the apartment.

Considering what we have already sold and given away, it seems that there is still a good bit in the house. People have already called “dibbs” on a number of the remaining things. I suggested another yard sale; Mick immediately negated that thought. He said that at this point, the piles are to “take”, give away”, or “throw away”; so be it.

Tomorrow, the boy across the street has been hired to empty the attics, we’re blessed with not one, but two. The temperature in Charlotte has been excruciating since our return. This afternoon, the temperature exceeded 100 in the shade in our backyard, and then a heat index is factored in. Young people are more durable to handle attics in the summer. Mick and I will be taking care of the stuff when it comes down.

Things are coming together, which is a very good thing since the day of our departure is getting closer. Amidst the bustle of discarding, packing, and list making, we are enjoying our last days in Charlotte. We’ve been meeting friends for lunch and dinner, enjoying their company and extending invitations to Cuenca.

We're one month and counting!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy