pappysmarket

Wish I could remember for sure which year we first visited Ajijic but it was either in 97 or 98 so the same timeframe. We were scouting Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta for retirement possibilities. On a whim we booked a taxi driver to show us around the Lake Chapala area. He said the best Sunday brunch was at La Nueva Posada so there we went. Great food and a lovely view of the Lake, which had not yet receded so that was our first restaurant and it certainly was "real" also. That led to us moving to Ajijic in 2001 and also in 2008 moving to PV so we experienced the best of both. Mannix was a go-to for special occasions mainly for us. The old Pampa Tango opened, was close to our B&B so it was our everyday go-to place and then of course changed names to Ajijic Tango to settle a naming dispute with the original restaurant. Yep, the good old days.

Great podcast. Never knew his dad lived at Lakeside. Thanks for that.

Up to a certain limit it is deductible but for the vast majority of people, the new tax laws give a standard deduction greater than the total of your itemized deductions. It makes filing easier and cuts down on people exaggerating such things as charitable contributions. One remembers a former President's tax return taking a charitable deduction for donating used underwear. That's mostly now in the rear view mirror when filing one's taxes.

I have some Solar Eclipse glasses for sale, cheap. Only used once.

Home mortgage rates in 1983 in the US were 18%. I don't remember what car loans were.

Yes, we'll have to see if Brics is able to break the hegemony of the Petrodollar. They seem to be piling up huge amounts of gold which is driving the price up to new levels. The Ruble is doing quite well which would indicate the economy itself has recovered from the shock of sanctions.

Thanks to the US "sanctions" on Russia, their economy is now doing very well after shifting their markets to China and the Brics nations. If the Brics idea of changing how oil is priced from Petro Dollars to whatever their currency ends up being I think the dollar will fall against every currency, not just the Peso. They hope to unveil a gold backed currency so we shall see.

I remember the days when Bruno was still there having to ask him specifically for Crema Acida for the baker. It was not offered but if he was around he would bring a little to the table. Then you would feel like a "regular", lol.

Insuring a 70 year old person against health costs would be similar to writing a policy on the Titanic...after it struck the iceberg. Most companies are not that stupid. IMSS like all national health insurance schemes relies on getting premiums from a large portion of the population that is young and healthy to pay the claims of those who need care. The problem is most young, healthy people don't want to pay a premium for something they are unlikely to need. So the government then must either compel participation or use general tax revenue to make up the shortfall. Or in the case of the US, just print more phony money and increase prices. This is the classic cause of inflation, too many dollars chasing too few goods or services.

...and make sure your electric meter still has the working parts. CFE cuts off service by physically removing your meter. Found out the hard way in 2002 when we never received a bill. Guy with shirt and tie came to the door and apologized profusely and then removed the meter. Back then you rarely got a bill but the locals knew it was their responsibility to walk to the paint store and ask how much your bill was. You then paid the lady and she gave you a receipt. That's how you learn stuff in Mexico. Oh, our Maestro, Luis, just hooked two wires into the old meter and with a piece of PVC put them up on the power lines so we had power until we could go to Chapala and arrange reconnection. No power for a half hour was all we suffered...thanks to Luis.

Yeah, mainly snobbery.

For sure, some of the uh, not so nice, "expressions" I learned in Mexico are not known here. If I want to let one of the locals know I know a little Spanish I ask them if they know the expression Saludca. "Saludca???" "Yeah, Salud Cabxxn". 3 second pause and huge laughter. That one hasn't made it to The Valley yet.

Wow, did he ever have stories to tell. Quit his good job with Eastman-Kodak and sailed the Pacific with his family for several years. Truly a humble man. Yes, people here do complain about the humidity and surely it must be higher than in Tucson but after 10 years living in PV we assure the locals "You ain't seen nothin". Lol

True Dat! Actually, here in the Rio Grande Valley a large proportion of the residents speak both Spanish and English. The first language is almost always Spanish but their English is usually better than your Spanish so you end up speaking English. Frustrating after living in Mexico where your Spanish is better than their English so you get to practice your Spanish. Some, obviously, don't speak any English and then knowing Spanish is a big advantage, especially over the Winter Texans that are baffled over Hola. Spanish is surely the predominant language you hear people speaking in almost any store you go into. We live in Alamo which is closer to McAllen than Brownsville. Our subdivision is Alamo Country Club, which has 524 homes around a 9 hole golf course. Consistently voted best 55+ community in the Valley. There are about 80% stick built homes and the rest MH but no more mobiles are allowed even if your home would burn down. We are in a MH of about 1300 sq. ft. which would sell for about 115 K if we put it for sale. Many people here walk across the bridge to Progreso for dental work and generic prescriptions along with hair care, pedicures, etc. We all have golf carts to get around the subdivision and our HOA fee is $190/Mo. which includes golf, pool, etc. and best of all 24 hour security at the gate. In almost 5 years here I have never heard of any crime whatsoever. Alamo is starting to grow just as the whole Valley itself is. COL is definitely lower than the Houston area with food probably about the same but housing still lower. Our property tax is just under $900/Yr. with the Homestead exemption. Those who remember RV Gringo on this board may know they lived here for a while before returning to Yuma where he passed. Our Medicare Advantage plan prevents us from seeking medical care in Mexico and thus we needed to get back to the US but we only made it about 10 miles inside the border. We love being in Hidalgo County which is 87% Hispanic. If anyone else finds a need to get inside the US for any reason I would suggest Googling this area. Traffic is nothing like Guadalajara or even Lakeside for that matter.

I have a Brother-in Law who is a past president of the Pittsburgh Mensa organization. If he is a typical representation of people with that high of an IQ I would have to respectfully disagree with Kiko. If you want to discuss theoretical issues he is the best. Practical issues...no.