Paul Alton MBA

Lifelong Learning, Living and Loving

Home

Dukan Diet

Ad Copy

Articles

Thinking Ahead

Decisions

LongestDay

A Day

Jail Mindset

Dan Alton's Memoirs

DR Mission Trip

David Allen

Automation

Two Businesses

Winter Vacation

Tales of Buddy

Pirogue 2014

Killer Grid Heater Bolt

Video Doorbell

Travel

Copper Canyon 2010

Ireland 2011

August 1_2011 Photos

August 2_2011 Photos

August 3_2011 Photos

August 4_2011 Photos

August 5_2011 Photos

August 6_2011 Photos

August 7_2011 Photos

August 8_2011 Photos

August 9_2011 Photos

August 10 _2011 Photos

Ometepe Monastery

Somoto Canyon 2014

Reports

Heat Duct

Books

Updates

April 2025

March 2025

February 2025

January 2025

December 2024

November 2024

October 2024

September 2024

August 2024

July 2024

June 2024

May 2024

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

December 2023

November 2023

October 2023

September 2023

August 2023

July 2023

June 2023

May 2023

April 2023

March 2023

February 2023

January 2023

December 2022

November 2022

October 2022

September 2022

August 2022

July 2022

May June 2022

April 2022

March 2022

February 2022

January 2022

2021Review

December 2021

November 2021

October 2021

September 2021

August 2021

July 2021

June 2021

May 2021

April 2021

March 2021

February 2021

January 2021

December 2020

November 2020

October 2020

September 2020

August 2020

July 2020

June 2020

May 2020

April 2020

Covid Spring

March 2020

February 2020

January 2020

December 2019

November 2019

October 2019

September 2019

August 2019

July 2019

June 2019

May 2019

April 2019

March 2019

February 2019

January 2019

December 2018

November 2018

October 2018

Peru Part 2

September 2018

SpringSummer2018

February 2018

January 2018

December 2017

November 2017

Fall 2017

August 2017

July 2017

June 2017

May 2017

April 2017

March 2017

February 2017

January 2017

December 2016

November 2016

October 2016

September 2016

August 2016

July 2016

June 2016

May 2016

March April 2016

February 2016

January 2016

D and E House 2015

December 2015

Fall 2015

Bill China

CarolynChina

September 2015

Summer 2015

April 2015

March 2015

February 2015

January 2015

December 2014

November 2014

Going South 2014

summer 2014

Spring 2014

March 2014

February 2014

January 2014

December 2013

November 2013

SeptemberOctober 2013

August 2013

July 2013

June 2013

May 2013

April 2013

March 2013

February 2013

January 2013

December 2012

November 2012

October 2012

September 2012

August 2012

July 2012

June 2012

May 2012

April 2012

March 2012

February 2012

January 2012

December 2011

November 2011

September - October 2011

July - August 2011

April - June 2011

March 2011

February 2011

January 2011

December 2010

November 2010

October 2010

September 2010

Shop/Studio 2010

August 2010

July 2010

June 2010

April - May 2010

March 2010

February 2010

January 2010

December 2009

November 2009

October 2009

Going South 2009

September 2009

Shop/Studio 2009

July - August 2009

June 2009

May 2009

April 2009

March 2009

February 2009

Nicaragua Trip

January 2009

Big Feed 2008

December 2008

November 2008

October 2008

Balloon Ride

August - September 2008

Studio / Shop 2008

June - July 2008

April - May 2008

March 2008

February 2008

Jan-Feb 08 Transition

January 2008

Big Feed 2007

December 2007

November 2007

Sept/Oct 2007

Summer 2007

Spring 2007

February 2007

January 2007

2006 Updates

CanMexCan V

CanMexCan_IV

CanMexCan_III

CanMexCan_II

CanMexCan_I

 
March & April 2016

On March 3rd, after two months in Nicaragua, we left Granada and took a bus to Managua.

Normally we would just walk up to the square and grab a bus to UCA terminal in Managua, but those are smallish buses and it is hard to have your suitcase with you. You either pay a fare for your suitcase to ride with you inside on the seat next to you or you pay a half fare for the suitcase to ride on the roof out of sight and out of control. We went to the terminal for buses to Marcado Roberto Huembes and got on a converted school bus. The seats on these buses are higher so you have enough room under the seats to stow a carry-on bag and you are sitting higher so if the bus fills up you don’t have a butt cheek next to your face cheek.

Disembarking from the bus in Marcado Roberto Huembes terminal we had all sorts of helpful taxi drivers and their touts offering us overpriced rides to our hotel near the airport. Walking about twenty feet to the assembled cabs outside the terminal the price dropped by about fifty percent. We got in the cab of a crazy driver who took us briskly to the hotel across from the airport.

At one point he drove the wrong way down a one-way street for a block to get ahead of traffic. Repeatedly he would pass cars waiting at a red light by cutting around them from the left-turn lane and passing them as the light changed to green. When we got to the hotel, Juanita got out of the cab and the taxista demanded twice the fare agreed to back at the bus terminal. I resisted the request and paid him what we had agreed on. He told me to get out. I stayed in the cab until he got out. I mentioned the luggage and he acted surprised like he had forgotten all about it and got out to open the truck. I then got out of the cab. If I had got out before he did there was nothing stopping him from just driving off with our bags. 

We flew back to Canada on Friday, March 4th

We went across the street from our hotel and into the airport terminal. We passed through immigration and demonstrated we had paid our ten dollar entry payment on arrival in the country and then went through security into the secured area. Unlike previous years there was no secondary security check between gate desk and the airplane. We could have bought water in the secured area, but didn't since it had been seized on the jetway in the past. I wonder if this is a permanent change.

In Houston there were changes on Customs & Immigration checks. They have stopped lumping Americans and Canadians together at immigration.

We checked but there were no flights to Edmonton earlier than our scheduled departure so we waited.

After getting off the palne in Edmonton and through all the checks we arrived at the pick-up zone at the same time as our son-in-law, Nick.

Saturday we visited with family in Edmonton and drove back to Meadow Lake on Sunday. I was able to schedule a pre-employment drug test in Meadow Lake. That's a first. The police check form will not be available for pick-up until Friday.

Drove to Regina on Saturday, March 12. Weather looked like it would be the best for travelling with large fifth wheel trailer. Booked spot in RV spot from Nicaragua when only information I had was that training for work would start “week of March 14th”. Did training for all of two days and part of a third. Rest of time slothed around reading and surfing the internet and eating too many restaurant meals until work started on March 28th. Did manage to finish filing our income tax returns for 2015.

This is the ninth year in a row I have worked the spring shutdown at the refinery in Regina. Perhaps it will be my last time. They are going through some changes. Perhaps they will decide they are not going to rely so much on older workers and perhaps I will decide to finally retire. I know at the end of the work on May 7th I decided not to file an Employment Insurance claim since I had no intention of working for pay again this year.


Majestics' 50th Annual Regina Car Show

Image: 

We were still working in Regina when the Majestics Car Club held their fiftieth annual car show. Being a milestone year they went all out getting an even better than usual collection of exhibitors. Fifty years seems like a long time when you hear it, but when one thinks about it 1966 seems like only yesterday when a bunch of us graduated from high school and wandered off into life and/or further education.

Juanita is not as big a fan of car shows, but this year she accompanied me most graciously while I oogled the cars and handed out several curved illusion tracts. 


<< Previous  Next >>

Copyright Paul W. Alton 2006 through 2025 All Rights Reserved
Pages on this site contain Amazon affiliate links
Amazon sells everything from soup to drones.
   Amazon Link 
As an Amazon Associate i earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.