Coming back from Taiwan in 2024/Carlos Pueblo

 Coming back from Taiwan in 2024/Carlos Pueblo

The day before yesterday, I came back from a month-long stay in Taiwan for my fake teeth work. I don't realize how much house chores I must manage right away. First, I must get my old vehicle started right away, second, I must purchase several air plane tickets again to go back to Taiwan within a month because that I have to give my dentist two more weeks to complete the lower part of the denture, third, I must repair the damaged front and back yard after a long drought in 2023 and a foundation repair early this year.

While I was in Taiwan, my son Arthur's vehicle had an alarm light on the panel. The mechanic indicated the electric wire was damaged by squirrels throughout the year and also the vehicle was required to have some basic maintenance and the cost was about $1,400. It was alright that he could drive my old 98 Q45 to work. Unfortunately, after one day, the vehicle was stopped on the road and rescued by police to jump it up to a supermarket parking lot nearby. Amy suggested that I donate the vehicle to a charity foundation and purchase her friend's 9 years old vehicle. I kind of considered it because her friend is leaving here to join her son in South Korea for good. After two days thinking, I guess the fault was that I shorted the electrical system two months before when I replaced a new battery that I paid a price to fix the shortage and also damaged the re-charge system of the battery. I guess if I can replace a new battery on the Q45, I may still drive the vehicle. I was right and the cost was a very minimum $72. This time, I did have my neighbor Mike to supervise my replacement of the battery.

I bought a cruise ticket immediately when I learned that I had to come back to Taiwan for additional dental work that would be for the itinerary from Vancouver, Canada to Tokyo, Japan on May 8, 2024 for 18 days. I also purchased an airplane ticket from Tokyo to Taipei City before I left Taipei. I like to minimize my cost by using mileage and points from credit cards; therefore, I worked right away when I got home to purchase three  tickets from IAH to YVR to board on the cruise, then another ticket from LAX to IAH when I come back from Taipei to attend an alumni conference in Los Angeles for three days. This way, I don't feel too much pain for my traveling costs.

We are doing very well in our garden before my leaving for Taiwan. Six new roses and many amaryllis plants are blooming excellently. Half of the amaryllis are from neighbors' seeds. It takes seven years to bloom! I filled some more sod in the backyard and 4 bags of dahlia which I was persuaded not to smuggle into the U.S. from Taiwan.