Friday, October 9, 2009

Took the grandkids to lunch and shopping at Plaza Caracol yesterday. I can't believe the Christmas stuff is already up! Geez! They should just leave it up all year. A bit too early for me! Let's do Halloween first!

Flu vaccines (regular) have arrived to Vallarta and we have our first flu vaccine clinic next Tuesday. NOT the H1N1 vaccines which will ONLY be distributed via the Health Department at their own discretion as to how is to receive them. I'm more worried about dengue right now than the H1N1! Tamiflu ONLY available via prescription from a physician and then some further trekking to the Health Department to get it. I hear there is lots of "fake" Tamiflu out there - I hope people are careful!

We are working diligently to get our program together bringing a well respected rheumatologist to Vallarta on November 11, 12 and 13th who will speak with the foreigners (one session) and physicians & nurses (another session) - all at the Hotel Marriott (beautiful!) --- makes me realize how simple my little speakers program is now that we are coordinating with a large hotel, rooms, etc! But I am confident it is going to be great and provide a whole lot of good information on what's new in arthritis, etc to people here. We do not have a rheumatologist here which is hard to believe considering how many people live here that have rheumatoid issues such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, etc! Watch for more details!

A lovely rain all day yesterday - I'd love to say it cooled things off but it was a sauna-oven all day but the evenings and mornings are cooling off which is a sign our gorgeous Puerto Vallarta weather is just around the corner!

Here's a good one:

"To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there." Kofi Annan

Thursday, October 8, 2009

"The secret to making magic is a bunch of people working together." Tony Jeary

I think that the above quote is very true! One is good, two is better and a whole bunch can really get a project going. I am discovering this as I attempt to organize a large event for November at the Hotel Marriott. We are bringing in a well respected rheumatologist from Sharpe Hospital/San Diego to do a presentation to the local foreign community and as well, a class for local nurses and physician. This is going to be a huge plus for the area since we do not have a rheumatologist in the Banderas Bay area. But it's a whole different ballgame putting together an event such as this in comparison to putting together one of my "local speakers programs". Watch for details!!!

October 6, 2009

Walking up Olas Altas street this afternoon it was good to see more tourists - I know these are tourists and not cruise ship tourists because many had on the hotel wristbands (a dead giveaway!). Poco a poco - the high season is coming. Not sure how "high" it will be, but I sort of figure ANYTHING in comparison to the past few months will be good! If the appointments for all of my clinics are any sign, we are well on our way! Hurray! (I think!)

The moon the past few nights (and early mornings) has been beyond amazing. Talk about "moonshine" - it was like daylight Monday morning around 5am.

I so enjoy meeting and chatting (like, having a REAL conversation!) with new people to the area - or new to me anyway. Met the owners of a restaurant in Sayulita today and now cannot remember the name of the restaurant that they are running - I think Xambala or something like that but definitely want to check it out! I hear on Thursdays out that way they have the best Tiangus around! MY kind of shopping!

Soon it will be time for Mikki's Encore Shopping Spree. You have a set amount of time (very short!) to put on as many items in the store and they are at a drastically reduced price. It's a blast! Will get details from her but get ready because I plan on putting on 25 layers of clothes in 5 minutes!!!

Letting go of trying to control everything, once it is done, sure is a special feeling. I am learning, little by little, to do that.

Good Night!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Now that I have started this, I am not sure what I am supposed to write - or should I say, what might be interesting!
Today I spent a good amount of time with a Parkinson's patient - a very, very sweet lady, accompanying her to a consult with a great neurologist (who is a man of few words as I seem to find neurologists are). All went very well - but a quandry/question. If you were 80 some years old, and had Parkinson's that was fairly well controlled - and you broke your hip - would you want to go through the hip surgery (if you were not in agonizing pain from it) or would you want to continue as you were? What would you do if it was your parent? A very tough question! And one I don't have the answer for.
For some reason I have received 4 calls from 4 different women in the past week asking for a physician that they can go to that would perform an abortion. Not here is all I can tell them.
Now, here is a great quote:
"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is to try and please everyone" Bill Cosby
Now "ain't that the truth"?????!!!!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

I think that we all cherish our Sundays. It's the one day of the week (normally) I can take two naps and not feel guilty, read, watch a movie or stare off in to space in order to prepare for the upcoming week.
What's great about this blog is I can put a plug in for anyone and anything I want!
If you haven't been to Dee's Coffee Shop (across from the San Marino Hotel) be sure and go. She now makes blueberry bars that are to die for!!! (Sorry Dee - but they are better than your date bars!). Sunday mornings always seems to bring a good mix where we sit in the back at Dee's (where our butt imprints are permanently etched on the big, comfy sofa) (lovingly called "The Vortex"). We manage to try and solve the problems of the world, or of Vallarta, or whatever. A great time to share stories and opinions with interesting people. And eat goodies!
A great read is "The Ladies Auxillary" by Tova Mirvis. We discussed in in our Book Group (all 5 of us - we love being small!) and I highly recommend it.
I am now reading "Hand In Glove" by Robert Goddard. Great mystery!!!
Seeing lots more "snowbirds" returning for the winter and that's great! Come back! We miss you! I hope it snows tomorrow in Canada and all over the US. That assures us folks will be back early!
I hope if you are reading this, you had a lovely, relaxing and serene Sunday. Now! Onwards to the work week!

Evening with the grandkids!

Found out at the last minute there was a show called "Rompacabezas" (Puzzles in Spanish) starting at 7pm at Los Mangos Library (a place that everyone needs to check out!). Figured this was a great event to take the grandkids to - something different to do! I AM SO GLAD WE WENT! A pretty good sized crowd showed up - loads of young kids - music, dancing, jokes, costumes, drums - the works! The kids were totally in to it and so were many of the parents. A couple of hours of fabulous entertainment for young and old alike with donations going to a great cause (Autism02 - bariatric chamber) which is run by a dynamo, Kerri Rivera. Why Oh WHY don't we have more of this kind of entertainment here in Puerto Vallarta?! Or if there IS something like this - why don't we hear about it?! And what a perfect place to hold this event - at Los Mangos!

I was the only "gringa" there - but couldn't have cared less. (Though I did have to keep asking Nicholas, my grandson, to translate some of the jokes he was laughing at!) It was a joy to see so many Mexican families enjoying an evening with their kids at the Library.

Took the kids home, stopped for Tacos de Pastor (yum yum yum), enjoyed the breeze coming from the bay and thanking my lucky stars for everything I have here!

Getting Started!

I figured I'd give this a whirl and see how consistently I will keep this up. Topics? Who knows - whatever strikes my fancy or perhaps something interesting that's happened! I have a zillion "stories" swirling around in my brain all the time - but never enough time to write an "article" and then email out there to the masses. So maybe the masses (or a few anyway) will follow the blog and see what's going on with HealthCare Resources, the Hacienda Jalisco, Puerto Vallarta, grandkids, the Jungle Drums of Puerto Vallarta - anything!!! I'm open to suggestions! Up next...the "Rompacabeza" show at Los Mangos Library this evening!