Souvenir Photo Studio, by Al Bourassa: Thursday Jan 24, 2019 Taxes

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Thursday Jan 24, 2019

Well, NetTalk has thrown in the towel.. I think. They say the problem is likely with Colombia or MovieStar blocking the configuration. They have promised to refund this year's subscription but I have yet to see any refund.

Wednesday, we went to pick up Cristina's Mom, Ana Julia, who is apparently going to stay with us until Sunday. I don't mind her being here except she shuffles so slowly and quietly she is like a ghost in the house.

Poor Cafe has been vomiting all night and this morning. Cristina thinks it might be a reaction to the shots rather than the Chemo. Poor dog.

I slipped out this morning to see about paying the house taxes at City Hall and got in line again. I finally got my paperwork saying that the taxes owing are 746,566 pesos, or $235.72 USD, or $314.85 CAD. Either way, it seems like a horrendous amount for Latin America. In USD, in Ecuador we paid between $12.72 and $61.38 tops in house taxes!.. Last year was $28.02, so the taxes here are 8.4 times higher!

We then took Ana Julia to the cemetery, attached a new balloon to the stuff to light up at night, and watered the plants.

Once we returned home I went to pay the balance of the bills. In USD, I paid the gas bill today which was $1.35 and Internet/TV was $43. Electricity was $40 and the bloody water/sewer was $32. Don't forget that we don't pay for furnace or AC. There are 6 Strata levels and the higher levels (are supposed to) pay more. Considering we are in a Strata 2 area which is supposed to be cheaper for everything, we are shocked at these utility bills! Then I rushed to the local bank to actually pay the taxes before lunch only to find they closed at from 11:30 to 2pm for lunch! It was 11:32. I was not a happy camper. After 2:30pm I went back and there was not much of a lineup. I keep toying with the idea of opening an account here but this bank has little or no international connections for transfers.
Cristina mentioned that she was certain that there were mice in the big box on our patio where we have a lot of cloth suitcases and cardboard stored. So I started to take everything out and, as soon as I saw the mice, she took over. There were 6 live babies and one dead one. With her big heart, she insists on leaving them there until they are able to get out on their own, and she basically made a ramp for them to accomplish that feat. I don't mind them in the yard, but I sure don't want then in the house. Since we leave the back door open almost all the time, it will happen sooner or later and the dogs will go crazy.
Gilma and family were supposed to come and visit with Ana Julia but she begged off sick, so Cristina decided that we should go visit her aunt on her Dad's side, Nativa, who looks after her injured grandson, Victor Hugo. We brought Victor a pair of shorts and a pair of pants that I had bought that are too small for me. Victor is a paraplegic and talks very slowly but he still has a sharp mind and a sense of humor. Nativa is just a sweetheart of lady. She is the aunt that was married at age 15 to the 52-year-old man and spent 30+ years with him. I took a pic of a portrait of her mother on the wall. I love old photos.
I was trying to arrange my photos, first Firefox crashed, then my Pixresizer went buggy for over a minute. The joys of electronics and internet. Then I had a heckuva time bringing in the photos.... Sheesh...

I hope you enjoy the pictures. That was the day’s excitement.

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