Ran into my darling pet dog Nicky/Carlos Pueblo

 Ran into my darling pet dog Nicky/Carlos Pueblo

The other day I was on my way to the swimming pool and ran into my darling pet dog Nicky and her owner. I stopped my car and opened my trunk to gather a bag of used tennis ball for her to play. Nicky is and chocolate color Labrador who has been my darling pet dog for years. Her owner throughs tennis ball to a long distance for her to catch; therefore, she is a constant recipient of my used tennis balls for her to play. 

She was so excited to see me and lied down on the street waiting for me to play with her. I am afraid of the hot concrete ground and attempted to hold her up. She is looking very good and full of energy. Usually I would deliver several cans of ball in a grocery bag to her house on the Overbrook street on the back of another darling dog Brandy on Ella Lee street. Both are very famous lovely pets in the subdivision. Recently, I find another way to dispose those balls to Nimo, another tennis body, for him to use on his ball machine to practice.

Since I intensify my tennis routine, I rarely have the opportunity to walk on the subdivision and I miss my pet dog friends. I feel the unfortunate miss of something in my life. Especially now I move the group to Walnut Bend courts to host more players. It is almost impossible for them to walk by our single court in our recreation center. 

The hot summer will be ended very soon and I hope that I can find a way to renew our encountering in the fall and thereafter into the year end and next year.

愛犬妮姬／莊峻華

 愛犬妮姬／莊峻華

愛犬妮姬是一拉布拉多犬，暗巧克力色，家注過溪街，主人是位鰥夫，與她相依為命，兩年前我經常散步西村社區，經常和妮姬碰面，她和靦覥主人，不同個性，非常活潑親切，就像一小男孩，見過幾次面，就像知己，全身豬肝色，毫無雜毛，非常可愛，我看到主人擲網球，讓她追回，於是我開始贈送舊球，或是驅車專送，或是停車街旁，行李箱取出舊球。昨日在管石街游泳池前，遇見妮姬和老人，我突然停車，兩位一驚，但聞我聲音，妮姬搖尾趨近，我就是甜言蜜語，打開行李箱，裝上一袋舊球，交給老主人，兩位臉色都很好。

她許久未見，巧克力色毛髮發亮，非常可愛，躺在地上，邀我玩耍，我說水泥地太熱，主人叫她起來，她是位可愛寵物，非常懂事，我的好友戴安娜和她的愛犬伊莉也很喜歡她，戴安娜希望她能和主人為伴，我因每日網球游泳，然後就躲在室內，錯過清晨散步，和鄰居愛犬見面的機會。

幾個月前，鄰居有刊物，介紹我們家庭，於是鄰居知道，我喜愛寵物，尤其愛犬，路上相遇，都會要愛犬前來打招呼，這是我非常感激之處也，我把庭院整理妥善，跟上鄰居花園，然後就是春夏秋冬四季，很快一年將過去。

Buy tennis shoes on Labor Day/Carlos Pueblo

 Buy tennis shoes on Labor Day/Carlos Pueblo

It has been my habit to buy shoes on Labor Day because the store would put up new models on the show room and attempt to get rid of the old models. I have no idea of what is the fashion as long as my torn shoes can be replaced. I walk and play tennis every day; therefore, new shoes are needed every year. There is a Nike outlet store at Katy Mills mall about 30 miles from home. Amy is very anxious to get me to go along with her for some shopping.

The same kinds of shoes marked on sale are about $10 higher than previous year. I mean the bottom one. I forgot to bring my shoe knife with me to put my foot into new style of shoes a sales girl came to help. It's fit well and I decide to find another two pairs. It is the last one, so I found two pairs similar to the old shoes on my feet. I asked another sales passing by about the difference of price tags. He knew what was my concern and advised me to have a Nike App. I asked him to help me to get it. I know very well of the digital apps to get further discount on purchase. I believe that I have had the final price back to last year. 

I was waiting outside of stores at the lobby for Amy's purchase. I enjoy watching pretty young girls passing by, of course, there are some beautiful ladies like shopping as well. The mall is affected by the Wuhan Corona Virus Pandemic very much and this is the second year. It is the second year that I don't go out to travel on cruise and I save some money.

勞工節購鞋／莊峻華

 勞工節購鞋／莊峻華

幾年來，我都在勞工節更季時購鞋，愛美選上郊鎮凱蒂米廠大賣場，從我們家上十號公路西向，非常方便，耐克鞋廠在凱蒂有出口店，舊型球鞋，在勞工節換季，擺在店後一排，我就開始選擇，我現在每天打網球，過去每天散步行軍，球鞋磨損厲害，需要補充，所以一般我是購買三雙備用，所幸當代鞋膠品質耐用，可以放上多年。今年，我特別注意鞋價，是否上漲？因為輿論如此說。

我們來得早，出口店人尚未進來，我看到我想要者，然後就是大小，因未準備鞋刀，一時無法試穿，於是參考舊鞋大小，有位小姐幫我穿上，於是再覓兩雙，未見其餘，這特價鞋，需看庫存量，於是我再找其它類似者，我發現另兩雙，和我腳穿舊鞋相同款項，但價格稍貴，我把同號大小展示鞋，一一比照鞋價，發現折扣大小有異，詢問一熱心男店員，他問我有無耐克申請號碼？我立即體會，因為我最近申請兩超市申請號碼，確實獲益，於是他幫我申請曰，結帳店員將幫我拿到百分之十五另外折扣，愛美要我幫她結帳。

現在美國大生意商號，喜歡鼓勵客戶，加入申請客戶群，給予另一層折扣，這是有道理的，可以賣出滯銷庫存，也讓像我一般節儉成性客戶高興，一般大商號，實在是在搶客戶，增加光臨購買機會，商業競爭劇烈。

講到穿鞋，我不禁回想到貧窮的過去，小時候我需要接收長兄舊鞋，先母常斥我粗魯，鞋到我腳上就破損，幾十年後，大姊為我抱屈，實在是舊鞋，而且當年鞋膠遠不若今日品質，我當兵時，配給步鞋，經常磨損破損，無法等到換鞋，非常可憐，如此也盡兩年義務役，而且是在烈嶼小金門。

我有幾雙新皮鞋，有的是在美國購買，有的是在阿根廷，我也能擦亮皮鞋，但現在已無工作，無需西裝革履，拜會客戶，甚至無飯局約會，只有勞工節購買球鞋。

Making Porto Rico a State/Carlos Pueblo

 Making Porto Rico a State/Carlos Pueblo

53% of Porto Rican have a strong desire to make Porto Rico a State of the U.S., my new tennis friend Rudy indicates to every one of our tennis group. He says that Porto Rico will generate two Senators and four Congressmen to the United States. I tell him that Taiwan can generate even more than he ever think about, a nation of 17th world economy,  24 million population, and the U.S. has a right to claim as her territory after defeating Japan during WWII in 1945. Porto Rico was ceded to the U.S. in 1889 while Taiwan was ceded to Japan in 1895 by the Manchu Dynasty, a little history for the history lovers of the world.

He tells me the difficulty ahead of his home island to become an U.S. States are various. First, both U.S. parties are against it because that the Republican are against it due to the senate and congress seats maybe all Democrat while the Democrat are for the status quote along side with the local rich establishment. I ask him why not go independent and the U.S. Federal Government may be welling to grand such request as a matter of fact there has been a vote before. He tells me that islanders are not willingly to see Porto Rico becomes nations of the Latin America, the Central or the South like Cuba, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, etc. They prefer to be with the U.S. formally. We do, many Taiwanese and myself do, with the same desire to be with the U.S. as well. As a matter of fact that there are many people in the whole world anticipate to be with the United States and are waiting patiently or in-patiently outside or inside the United States.

I know what is going on and what is the true matter is. The rulers of those anticipants above described by me are losers. They fail their nation or territory which they govern. They don't do their best to let up their citizens' hope to become like the U.S. They are corruptive and incompetent of their job duty, and at the worse they are not shameful. Porto Rican are very fortunate that they can study hard at home to be good at English and Spanish language, buying a one way ticket to come to the U.S. to find a job and establish their own life and eventually become U.S. citizen. They don't need to wait for the immigration quota. Work for yourself first to get to the U.S. and worry about the other fellow citizen of 3.1 million later. Don't donate your money to those who raise fund for making Porto Rico a State cause. 

I have escaped Taiwan long time before and enjoy my new life in the U.S. I thank that Taiwan gives me a good opportunity to prepare myself to live in a foreign country. I have never been a burden of this new home country. I have pay more tax that anything I have received from the government. It is a meaningful way of life.

波多黎哥入州說／莊峻華

 波多黎哥入州說／莊峻華

波多黎哥島是美國殖民地，因為郵輪旅行，我曾經拜訪數次，印象深刻，新球友魯地，來自波多黎哥，首日球歇，立即向我提到波多黎哥入州一案，非常有趣，他說百分之五十三島民，支持加入美國第五十一州，我問華府？他說與憲法有抵觸，我說共和黨反對，他說民主黨也反對，因為波島富人，希望維持現狀，就是那百分之四十七之一部分，我再曰波島可以入州，台灣也可以排隊，不是嗎？美國擊敗日本，解放台灣，又無法讓台灣獨立，讓台灣人感到被出賣，現在被中國人，文攻武赫，內憂外患。

他說波多黎哥不願獨立，是因為不願淪為古巴，委內瑞拉，和秘魯，或是巴西，智利，和阿根廷等經濟窘困，台灣沒有此問題，台灣經濟實力，全球第十七，軍事實力也相當，台灣獨立有自信，而且是綽綽有餘，只是有惡鄰中國之恫嚇。

波多黎哥人，可以自由出入美國，申請加入美國籍，美國人一派有意見，因為波島入州，島民平均收入，將會提高到全加勒比海地區第一，又變成一福利州，美國有很多福利州，所以國民不願增加負擔，而且美國幾近一半人，有種族優越感，連非洲裔美人，也被傳染。

如果我是波多黎哥人，我就努力學英文，也注意西班牙語，努力儲蓄，買張機票，飛到美國，像德州，加州，佛州等，都是雙語州，墨西哥人都可活下來，波島人應有自信，連我是台灣移民，都靠台語北京話，在美國混，第一獨善其身，再來清談天下事，時間到，申請入美國籍，投票給民主黨，因民主黨比較同情弱勢，魯地莞爾一笑。

Living in a paradise/Carlos Pueblo

 Living in a paradise/Carlos Pueblo

During my senior years, my life is like living in a paradise. I don't have to wait until I reach to the heaven or the western extreme happy heaven as the current Buddha describes. The heaven is here and is now. Every day, I have practiced a very simple life routine, I go to sleep early and get up early; I prepare my simple breakfast and Arthur's; I walk briefly with Amy before I go to play tennis: After tennis, I go to swim at my subdivision pool; I have a long nap to recover the hardship of the morning exercises. It's all free time until my bed time at or about 8:00 pm except a small chore of cooking my vegetarian dinner which Amy prepares the material.

Basically, I am a healthy old man with my age. I have taken advantage of what I have had in my life. I have immigrated to the great nation for 46 years. I have prepared all my life for this day to live in a paradise. I have had a moderate house to live without a mortgage to pay and I also have enough money to maintain my frugal life. I am covered by the Medicare for my health for my health maintenance.

I have organized a group of fellow tennis lovers to play tennis every day like my dream of the childhood has come true. Even though it is very hot during a long summer days in Houston, Texas, yet I can get to the lovely pool to cool down my over heated body afterward. I enjoy the water melon while it is on sale and inexpensive and served as my drink and water supply. It's another childhood dream to come true that I can eat as much as I like for water melons.

Michelle gives me her old Samsung i-phone to listen to the piano collections of Richard Clayderman. It's usually about one and half hours section which has helped me for the mid day nap. I would carefully avoid to waste my precious time left in my life. I don't answer phone calls nowadays. Nobody calls me anyway.

I find time to write my blog to express what I think of my life and I like to leave something to those who are interested in my humble life.