Thursday November 30, 2017 Sad Goodbyes

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Thursday November 30, 2017

Walking the dogs is therapeutic and even the new dog is behaving herself.  I still need to find a home for Nina, PLEASE.

I am up so early with the dogs that bedtime is becoming embarrassingly early.

Today is the anniversary of the accident where I broke my neck and it still grates on me that I have not yet fully recovered.  Walking 5 dogs, up to 6 times a day is not helping one bit but I love them all.

This morning was my last physio session until next Wednesday so I have to remember to do my own exercises etc to not lose this positive momentum.

My buddy Gustavo invited me to lunch ad must have read my mind because we went to try the Steak & Eggs special at the Sunrise cafe, with a side order of toast.  While it certainly wasn't Alberta beef it was certainly delicious.  The restaurant was packed with a lot of friends and acquaintances and we even got joined by MaryAnn and Stan.  Thank you Gustavo for giving me the outing I needed today.

Then I came home to prepare for a signing of a Power Of Attorney regarding our upcoming lawsuit against the Government over the Coopera liquidation.  I was shocked to get the note last night to come at noon today, and to bring $51 for the Notary (Govt gets 30%) and $20 for a translator, plus copy fees which were exhorbitant.  Apparently they were expecting 24 people to be involved, so you can do the math.  I was even more flabbergasted when the POA was two pages plus copies of our Cedulas..!!  Yes, TWO pages.  That just reinforces why I want to get out of this country because of its ridiculous bureaucracy.

 

My poor wife has been posting messages of despair as they went to have the requiem ceremony at the church in Andalucia.  Her reason for living, her only child, is senselessly murdered and it is so unreal to us that anyone could harm this wonderful boy.  As I write this, they will be burying that beautiful boy Christian in the ground and I feel so helpless, not to be able to be at my wife's side.  The only saving grace is that their family is incredibly tight-knit and they will look after her better than I could in these circumstances.  I have to trust them to keep a close eye on my despondent Cristina as the big breakdown is sure to come today.  Cristina is accustomed to talking to her son for 22 years so the adjustment will be horrible.  Hugs to my darling Cristina.

Al

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Wednesday November 29, 2017 Scrambling

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Tuesday Cristina was in complete shock from the news of her son's death and urgently wanted a flight to Colombia.  Friends were called to help us both through the initial grief and to focus on the things that needed to be done.

I found a flight from Guayaquil to Cali on Kayak and it re-directed me direct to the Avianca site which was abnormal.  Since I had finally gotten my Canadian Visa activated yesterday I was crossing my fingers that things would go smoothly.  After a few glitches we got it accepted.  Then, instead of the normal email confirmation, we get an email that they will confirm the flight within 8 hours!!  WTF..????  So we roar down to the Avianca office near El Vergel and explain that we can't wait 8 hours, she needs to be en route to Guayaquil.  They were very helpful and sympathetic and managed to cancel my online reservation and issue me a new identical one, and for less money, bless their souls.

We arranged for a private car to take Cristina and I to Guayaquil but, when we got home, Cristina had decided that she wanted to go in those awful private buses with 8 other sweaty people, alone, so she could be alone with her thoughts.  The only good thing about the private bus is that it takes a person direct to the airport.  Because of the situation, I just bit my lip and went with her to see her off.  She did get to the airport safely, had no problems with the flights, and arrived in Cali Wednesday morning where one of her nieces picked her up.

So Wednesday morning I had to skip physio to sit for 2 hours with our friend Cecilia in the oncology waiting room to see the doctors to cancel her surgery scheduled for tomorrow.  When we finally did get to see the doctors, they seemed sympathetic and even blase about cancelling the surgery.   We will have to re-schedule when Cristina returns

CONFIDENTIAL: Then came the awful confirmation that Christian's death was the result of foul-play and evidence is being gathered to put the suspected guilty person away.  I cannot say any more publicly at this time, sorry.  

I am in contact with 2 members of the family who speak English who are keeping me abreast of developments.  

My dear Cristina, no doubt in complete shock yet, is surprisingly calm.  I wish I was there but am so glad that her loving and supportive family is around her.

Christian's body was being held in vigil continuously and the funeral is already scheduled for tomorrow.

Tons of his friends are posting different photos of Christian with Goodbye messages.  It is all very touching but immediately turns on the waterworks seeing the beautiful laughing face of this wonderful boy cruelly snatched from our midst.  This is still too unreal to believe that Cristina would lose her only child to a murderer.

I am busy cleaning things and walking the dogs way too often just to keep from going crazy.  The dogs know something is amiss and are especially loving and a great comfort.  I am trying to find a home for the latest addition, Nina, but there are literally dozens of dogs up for adoption and nobody is holding up their hand.  Six dogs is just too much for me but I won't turn Nina back into the street.  She is coming around and learning to be calmer.

THANK YOU to everyone for your messages of support, it is greatly appreciated.

Then I got an email request from a lawyer about the new proposed Coopera lawsuit to be at his office tomorrow, wanting $51 Notary fee plus $20 Translator fee EACH.  The email was addressed to 19 parties.  My imperfect math says they are wanting $1,349 to probably read the document to all of us as a group, translated once.  This Notary racket is big business in Ecuador..  Grrrrr...

Not in the mood for camera work.  I even have a replacement to again do the photos at Joes on Saturday.

Al

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Tuesday November , 2017 Horrors

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Tuesday November , 2017

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Christian my wonderful stepson.  As soon as you get your Passport tomorrow we hope to be able to get you a flight here ASAP.

5:10am -  Out with the dogs, of course

6:00am – Rush to upload 3 more Elvis photos for sale, after, emails, Facebook etc.

8:30am – Physio with Diego and we called 140 together and arranged a (political BS) meeting with a GP Doctora Machuca on Dec 8 who will then send me to one of the Fisiatria doctors to approve more physio (which has already been verbally approved by Dra Ana Zhapan and I start Dec 6^th !!!)  It’s all a political game and they actually laugh about it.

9:30 – I take my “new” big helmet back to Mr Motorcycle and talk to papa Edgar Benenaula about the color badly fading on my new helmet that is less than a year old.  Compared to his 2-year-old similar helmet, mine is really bad.  I will probably have to come back on Friday for my 3^rd visit about this.

10:00 – I unplug my computer and take it to my technician because I lost my Sony memory card inside the computer in a slot that I mistakenly thought might accept it.  I pick it up later with the card extracted  - cost $5.

10:30 – Go to see my motorcycle Mechanic, Diego, but he is away for ½ hour so I go to the big SuperMaxi store to try to activate my Canadian Debit card.  First I spot a bank so I try that first to withdraw $20 USD but it is a no go.  It is the same thing in SuperMaxi where I buy some garbage bags just to try a transaction….  Grrr

11:00 – Diego is at home, looks at my wobbly ignition switch, thinks briefly, the lightbulb goes on, he nods and goes for the tools he needs.  He dismantles the cowling to get at the inside, reaches in and tightens one screw, and puts everything back together, no charge….

12:00 – I put the computer back into operation and everything works..

12:30 – I start negotiations with CIBC to get a card that I can actually use to buy Christian’s flight, hopefully tomorrow…  I beg to online banking to activate my Debit card because I am, having no luck here doing the requested PIN transaction.

I call my mule in Edmonton to photograph the front and back of both my Dividend and US Dollar cards.   Guess what…  No US Dollar card..!!!  I call CIBC Credit Card services and talk to a sweetheart called Sharnett (neat name) and she agrees to activate my Dividend card after I promise her my first-born…  And I get her to mail a new US Dollar card to my mule in Edmonton…  Whew!!

1:48 – Just got the news that Cristina’s son Christian has been found dead in his bed….   Unable to think…

Al