Christmas in Mexico

A few pictures of our Christmas in Mexico City.


Baby and Poodle sitting on the ledge outside our kitchen, solving the world's problems (or maybe just chatting)....






Poodle, Baby, and MTB playing with the kids at the Shelter for Abandoned and Abused Children.





The kids breaking the piñata. They were great. When the piñata broke, they all made sure everyone received some candy. Not one of these kids thought first of themselves.

The kids singing a Thank-you song to us. They were so grateful that someone would spend an hour with them.

We enjoyed our Christmas Day by sharing a bit of our time. It was a wonderful day. I hope your day was wonderful as well.

Just Catching Up

It's been a while since I have posted anything. Here are some events from the last few weeks.

1. I went to beautiful Beverly Hills to present my 2009 budget to the board of directors responsible for the company. A bit stressful, since my direct boss was pushing for more profit in a year that looks pretty bad.

2. One of the parties interested in buying the company sent 8 people to Mexico to do a detailed review of our operations. They stayed for 2 days. I don't think they found anything that would make them change their mind about buying us.

3. The peso devalued significantly, making collecting our accounts, which are denominated in dollars, very difficult.

4. Given the stress of the 3 items above, my defenses against illness were weakened, and I got sick.

5. While speaking with the Board of Directors, I mentioned that I was ill and it was probably a result of being stressed. My boss responded that I should not let things as 'trivial' as the budget and due diligence visits stress me out. I responded that people who know her are surprised that I'm not ill all the time!! I'm not sure she thought that was very funny.

6. Poodle and Baby and Little Brandon arrived on Sunday. Baby and Brandon arrived last, and their flight was late. We got home Monday morning at about 1:30 a.m.

7. All of us went to Puebla on Monday. Yesterday, we hiked in the area known as Rio Frio. It is in the mountains between Puebla and Mexico City. MTB will post pictures and give a more detailed report.

Merry Christmas to All!!!!!

A Big Surprise

My boss was in town this week. She was here for the weekend and stayed on Monday to visit us. She surprised me by offering me a job at another company in the USA after the sale of the operations in Mexico are sold. I at least have a good option available. (It is not in Texas)......

Ups and Downs, Continued

Number 1 on the previous list was probably neutral, but I had to make it a postive opportunity for the employees.

1. On Saturday, MTB dropped a small box of raspberries, which led to a major a meltdown.
2. On Sunday, MTB was called to be in the Stake RS Presidency. Those that know her won't have any problem deciding if this is an Up or Down. (And I'm still the High Counsel member responsible for Stake Activities. Is someone getting their wires crossed?)
3. On Friday, I was invited to go to a meeting in Miami (with Avaya, someone who wants us to sell their product) that was scheduled for Sunday. I declined, but it was nice to get the invitation.
4. I had planned on attending the Temple in Curitiba next week on the 22nd, but it is closed for maintenance.
5. Given the above, I'll be spending Friday and most of Saturday, November 21 and 22 in Houston.

Ups and Downs

Just a quick list of things that have happened this week: Some ups, some downs.

1. At an all employees meeting, I confirmed rumors that the company is for sale.
2. MTB thought she may have not renewed her license to practice medicine.
3. MTB found out that her license is still valid, no problem.
4. MTB and I spent 2 hours at an office of the Secretary of Education to start the process of validating her degree in Medicine, so she can practice in Mexico. After two hours, we found out we need more documents. And we had to smile and say thank-you.
5. A government owned aircraft, carrying the Secretary of the Interior and a former federal prosecutor crashed very near the presidential palace in Mexico City. Most people believe it was a sabotage by drug cartels, since the two government officials are in the center of the war with the drug cartels in Mexico.
6. MTB and I taught Institute on Wednesday night. We have wonderful students and it is always a positive experience for us.
7. The USA elected its first minority president.
8. I found out my boss will be visiting us on 1 December, my first day back from a 2-week absence from the office.

Life is all about ups and downs. We've had our share this week......

Fernash's Blog

Fernash -- You need to remember that your parent's eyesight is deteriorating. A deep blue color font on a brown background does not provide enough contrast for older eyes. Please at least change the font color. (Unless of course, you don't want us to see anything......)

Saturdays (without MTB)

MTB vistited Poodle this week, and arrives home today. When MTB visits family, she is usually gone at least one Saturday. So, what do I do when MTB is not here on Saturday? Here is a typical agenda.

1. Bike Ride. YEAH!!! (usually a bit longer than when she is here, but not much longer. I don't have the strength to do too much more)
2. Fumigate the house with Raid.
3. Wash clothes and sheets.
   
4. Thin the peace lilies that are in our indoor planters.
5. Go to WalMart or Costco or Home Depot, mostly just to get out of the house.
6. Fix something or iron clothes, or both.
   
7. Watch a sporting event (World Series Game 3 last night)
8. Prepare a lesson for Sunday.
9. Eat caldo tlapeño at VIPS.

WOW. What an exciting life!!!!

Nobody Likes My 6 Random Things......

So here are 6 more.

1. I'm not a good creative writer.
2. I don't like to make a big deal about myself
3. While I look at my life as an adventure, most others look at my life as really boring.
4. I operated a Caterpillar 955 loader when I was 15.
5. Though I've never lived in Boston, I am a Red Sox and Celtics fan.
6. When I was 9, Grandpa Reed was trying to teach me to hit a baseball. I did hit one back at him, and he caught it in his crotch. We went right home.

Are you happy now???

Tagged Again, by MTB

Rules
Link to the person who tagged you: MomtheBomb
Post the rules
Write 6 random facts about yourself
Tag someone else and let them know

1. I may really be Latin, not gringo.
2. A Saturday without a bike ride is a real bummer.
3. Dark chocolate is the best.
4. I am very lucky that the most amazing woman in the world asked me to marry her.
5. I am very impatient with other drivers, but I keep my comments to myself.
6. I make really bad 'Dad Jokes'.

Tagged (by Bex, kind of)

High School -- Hillcrest High School.

Colors --Green & White (Dynamite)

Mascot -- Huskies (as in Alaskan)

Dates from my high school -- LeAnn Moore, Jennifer Willand, Sally, and Carla (don't remember their last names)

Car -- The coolest 1972 Ford Maverick Grabber ever. Yellow-green with apple-green decals and a small spoiler. Sold it in 1985. MTB and I used the car for 9 years after we were married.

Friday Night -- At HS basketball games during the season. Otherwise with my friends Nick Rudelich and Kevin Winn.

Party Animal -- What is that????

Flirt -- Not really.

Clubs -- None. I did perform with the Chamber Choir. But that was long before my voice became somewhat nasal (phyisiology).

School Song -- but not a fight song. I remember it because I was in the Choir, and we actually recorded it.

Through all the seasons of the year, and all the years to come,
we'll sing our praises loud and clear to Hillcrest High we love so dear.
Our colors in their splendor bright, long wave the green and white,
we always will remember our spirit and our might.
We're honored to belong to you, well keep your standards high,
We'll cheer you in your victories and in defeat stand by.
Though someday we must leave you, our hearts will always thrill,
to the glory of your beauty on the crest of rolling hills.

Favorite teachers -- Mr. Shell, trigonometry. I actually did very well in trig. But I bombed the next year in calculus. Mr. Dean, Choir. He was a hoot. He would always tell the sopranos and altos that they were flat. He also stamped students' yearbooks with the following:

You are the most talented choir student I have ever taught.
I say this sincerely.
Leo A. Dean

Lunch -- always in the cafeteria, but I don't remember much more.

Homecoming -- I never went.

Graduation -- I went home after the event. Grandpa Reed never took anyone out to dinner. Just ask MTB.

10-year reunion -- I went to the 5-year reunion, and haven't been back since. I still keep in touch with Nick, but that is about all.

What I would do differently -- I had a great friend, who still makes time to see me when I visit SLC. That I would not change. I would probably try pitching for the baseball team. I could through a great curve ball, and I had great control. It wasn't until after high school that I discovered how to get velocity on a pitch. But at age 52, I could still throw a good breaking-ball.

Technology (and Skype)

Communications technology is great. It is what provides me with a living. It also makes it easier to stay in touch. Just in case anyone missed, we now have a Houston number that you can call to contact us. It will forward the call to our computer in Mexico.

281.940.7061

Now MTB has the following ways to keep in touch with everyone

Skype
AT&T Cell phone
Blog
Facebook
Email

I lack a space in Facebook and the AT&T cell phone. I'm sure we'll soon find a few more ways to keep in touch.

If It Looks Too Good to Be True.....

MTB and I went to Costa Rica this week. This was not a vacation. I had been invited there by a business associate. He knows that the company I work for in Mexico is for sale. He operates a similar company in Costa Rica, and wants to begin operating in Mexico. I thought he was interested in buying the company. He probably thought I was worried about losing my job.

He is a very bright person, and he really picks up on what is important to the people he wants to influence. So as the conversation progresses, I begin to think he and I share many of the same personal values. But when he offered me a lot of money to leave the company in Mexico and help him start a new business in Mexico, I became a bit suspicious that maybe we didn't share the same values. By the time we finished the two days with him, MTB and I concluded that what is true with investing is also true with humans: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is...........

MTB -- The Sister Every Sister Wants

Most of you know we lost a brother-in-law and uncle this week. MTB dropped everything and left to be with her sister. I talked to MTB last night, and it is clear to me that she is being the sister every sister wishes they had.

You are the best. I love you.

My Exciting Week

While MTB was having fun with friends, I was working and went to Washington, DC. The highlight was dinner with Poodle. But it must of not been too great for her, since she didn't mention it in the events of her exciting week.................

My Boss Approved My Bonus

Eight months after closing our financial books for 2007, my boss approved my bonus today. It was a good bonus, too.

Now MTB and I need to decide what to do with it. I'm open to suggestions. However, 'Share it with me' or anything similar will not be considered.......

Oscar's Other Heart Attack

I authorized complete physical examinations for all the Directors at the company, as well as their spouses. Oscar and Vanessa went last week. The exam started at 6:30 a.m. with a blood-pressure check. Oscar's blood pressure was high. Then, during the stress-test on the treadmill, his heart-rate became very erratic and very fast, so they had to stop the test, even though it was less than 50% completed. They put him on a gurney and were ready to apply the defibrillator. Fortunately, it was not needed.

The next day Oscar confessed to the real reason he had such problems: He was worried about the proctoscopic exam. It seems Claudia had told him all kinds of horror stories the day before his exam.

Customer Service

I have several automatic payments set up at my bank. Most of them work flawlessly. But one payment never gets processed, and I get a notice from the bank saying

'Could not schedule payment to process on 06/13/2008 for $XXX.XX, to payee FULANO

From: System'


Thanx for the notice. Now I need to know why. So I asked, using the banks secure message system.

////////////////////////////////////////

Subject: Technical Problem

See below. Can someone tell me why???

######################

5/23/2008 4:01:35 AM
Subject: Could not schedule payment to process on 06/13/2008 for $XXX.XX, to payee FULANO

From: System

/////////////////////////////////////////

And the answer is:

Dear DAD-THE-BAD
Thank you for your inquiry in regards to your issue I am showing a pending payment for FULANO scheduled to be processed on 06/13/2008 in the amount of $XXX.XX, with a due date of 06/22/2008. Thank you for using BIG BANK'S online banking.
Jessica


I sent the message 2 times, and received the same answer from Jessica. That really makes me wonder if Jessica is just a machine.

So, I'm still asking: '¿CAN ANYBODY TELL ME WHY?'

Oscar's Heart Attack

The sales director at NextiraOne is Oscar Rojo. Oscar does his job very well, and he is a wonderful person. He and members of his sales team had worked long and hard on a $54 million dollar proposal, for which I needed to sign legal documents. The signing was last Sunday night. I went and signed the documents, about 700 pages in all. Since my cell phone was dead, Oscar could not locate me Sunday night. But I know he tried, since on Monday morning I had several missed calls and at least 1 message from Oscar.

So, on Monday morning I called Oscar.

'Oscar, you called me last night.'

'Yes Mr. Reed, I did.' (He jokingly calls me Mr. Reed all the time).

'What did you need?' I asked.

'I just want to make sure you went to sign the documents last night,' was his reply.

'What documents?', followed by at least 10 seconds of silence from Oscar.

Oscar didn't think I was very funny.........

Humility

Reading through MTB's blog, as well as some other today, I came across several interesting comments.

From MTB
'I'm on the High Council. ... Dad attends the meetings, and brings my assignments... '

'Ryan's persistence at learning how to ride a bike that was WAY too big form him (money saving idea from DTB)'

From Poodle the Noodle
'Have dad talk to them. Sometimes he is really good at being mean...'

God gave me a family to keep me humble....

Mom Really is the Bomb

MTB and Bex arrived in SLC earlier today. I'm on my way, waiting for a delayed flight from Houston. I called MTB to tell her my flight would be late. She took that in stride. But she seemed a bit 'flustered' about something, so I asked her what was going on.

MTB: 'I've just been really busy since I got to Houston.'

'Really?' I commented.

'Yes' was MTB's reply.

'It's always really busy where you are. You should be used to that by now.'

'So it's ME?' she asked.

What do you think? Let the voting begin!!!!

Brasilians in Mexico

A person from IBM was at our office today. He is from Brasil, and has been working outside of Brasil since January of this year. He is learing Spanish quickly. Given my experience of learning Spanish, based on knowing Portuguese, I told him some of the words he should use with caution or avoid in Mexico. Most of these words are very normal for Brasilians. One of them is 'correr' -- to run. The word is the same in Spanish and Portuguese, but the Brasilians say it like Mexicans would say 'coger' (or for gringos, 'coher'). The word means to get or to grab in every Spanish speaking country in Latin America except Mexico, where it is used as the 'F' verb. So the Brasilian says, 'Now I understand why the concierge seemed offended last night when I asked her where I could go run.'

Stake Activities Committee

I was recently called to serve on the High Council of our Stake in Mexico City. (For those of you not of our faith, a Stake is somewhat analogous to a Diocese. The High Council supports a 'Stake Presidency' in administrative and leadership responsibilities.) My assignment on the High Council is to chair the Stake Activities Committee. I've never been much for organizing activities, especially dances. So, my first opportunity is to organize a dance for adult members of the Stake. Me, organize a dance? In Mexico? With music that Mexicans enjoy? Well, I believe in miracles, do you????

Wedding Music

Shady never does anything by the book. She always wants to be different. How many BYU coeds want to play 'Freebird' at their wedding (and maybe even try to sing it with her dad)? So I'll add a couple of more suggestions to her wedding music list. (Yes, my life is so boring that I have time to think about music for her wedding.) These may not be the correct titles, but I think she will know the music.

1. This Thing Called Love -- Queen

2. My Best Friend -- Queen

3. My Girl -- (I don't remember the artist).

4. God Only Knows -- The Beach Boys. (According to Paul McCartney, this is the greatest pop-music love song ever written. Another bit of useless trivia that clutters my mind.)

5. 'Till I Found You -- Susan Tedeschi

No News

You may have noticed that I don't post too much. That is because MTB ususally posts all the exciting news, leaving me with just the dull stuff. And since it is dull, I don't bother. Or maybe I just need to get a life......

My Reasons Why Mom is the Bomb

April 25 was MomtheBomb's birthday. I wanted to take the day off, but was unable to for varios reasons. I still thought I could be home by 2:00 pm, but on the way to work, I blew a tire, and my day started about an hour late. So i didn't get home until nearly 4:00 pm. But she was unfazed. So I want to add to the list's our kids have prepared about MomtheBomb.

These are not in any order of importance.

1. She is so calm, in some ways, that she can sleep through hurricanes and eat dinner through earthquakes and not even know what is happening.

2. She is primarily responsible for the success of our six children.

3. While several of the children were still in public schools, she completed here bachelors degree in biology with high honors.

4. She runs marathons.

5. She entered medical school at age 43.

6. She said she had a great birthday! I only bought her roses and took her to dinner on Saturday.

7. The people that impress her the most are those who quietly serve others. Those who are great in the world's eyes don't necessarily impress her.

8. She prefers to quietly serve others, and not make a big deal about it.

9. She wants to immerse herself in the local culture, and not just hang-out with gringos.

10. Despite all my quirks and faults, she still loves me.

Think About the Good We Can Do

For a number of years, I have observed parents fretting about the bad influence others may have on their (the parents') children. And based on this, they do things like home schooling, or move to a 'better' church unit (or just change churches). It seems to me there is a better answer.

In the final analysis, children will be on their own at sometime. They need to learn to live in this world, and not be protected from it. So instead of fretting about the negative influence of others, and sending a message to the children that they are weak or incapable, why don't we think about the good influence our children can have on others? This also sends a message to the children that they are strong and capable.

What do you think???

A Few More Comments about Hawaii

Mom the Bomb told you about our time in Hawaii. (Notice I didn't say fun time.) Paradise is not a fun place to be sick. Mom the Bomb really never recovered from her first 3 days of illness, although her fever did go. She felt good enough on Monday to go hiking. We hiked about 5.5 miles round trip, and saw views that I would guess only 1 or 2 percent of visitors to O'hau see. It was beautiful, and we drove only about 15 minutes from the hotel in Waikiki.

For those who like to get away from the tourist traps, I suggest using travel guides from Lonely Planet. They are written for people who want to explore and not just shop (probably not good for Poodle!!!!!).

Easter Egg Hunt in Houston

Caroline getting the idea......

Mabel avoiding the fire ants.........

Mabel and Caroline enjoying the fruits of their labors...........

Pepe Needs Help (Continued)

Mom the Bomb told Pepe that she would not let me help him. Pepe is thinking he will never hear the end of this, and he is right!!!!

Aging

Ashley made the comment on Shady's blog that I am getting old. I responded that in many ways, I still feel very young. I still skip the rope, run, do pull-ups and ride my bike, all in an effort to slow down the aging process. And I made some comment on Shady's blog about riding in the hills by our home. Well, I'm not that good at biking. When I ride the hills, I average only about 11 miles per hour.

It is true, aging is one of life's great equalizers. I don't want to admit it, but I am getting older. My left knee sounds like a ratchet wrench when I walk upstairs. My left leg always hurts and this makes it difficult to sleep on my left side. My right shoulder hurts enough to wake me up if I sleep on my right side. My lower back hurts if I sleep on my stomach, and if I sleep on my back, I snore and Mom the Bomb doesn't sleep.

But despite these minor inconveniences, Life is Good, and definitely worth living. And I will keep skipping the rope, running, riding, and enjoying the great journey that is My Life.

Relief Society for Ex-pats

First, let me say that this is not to critizice Mom the Bomb. I mentioned this to her today, and we talked about the difficulities of getting the majority of the people in our ward to understand service. For many of them, service = social activites (dinners, parties, etc.)

The Relief Society celebrates its 166th birthday on St. Patricks day. In commemoration, our ward of ex-pats hosted a dinner with a short program. I went along to baby-sit some children so that their mothers could attend. While there, I noticed an announcement from the other, local ward that meets in our building:

Relief Society Commeration: Saturday, March 15th. Meet at the Chapel at 9:00 am. Come dressed in clothing you can work in, as we will do a service project.

Which group really 'gets it?'

Precise and Accurate Communication

Here are some additional examples of poorly communicated facts or ideas.

From an AP story about child endangerment charges beign dropped against a Chicago area mother:

'Coyne has acknowledged that she did not tell the officers her child's name after she called her husband on her cell phone and he told her not to say anything until he arrived. She said she was afraid and only wanted to wait for her husband, but police arrested her before he did.'

So, did her husband come to arrest her? That is what the report says.


A cover story on a pediatrics publication :

'How to Prevent Cervical Cancer in Your Pediatrics Practice'.

While I believe all good pediatricians want to prevent cervical cancer in their practice (colleagues, employees, etc.) I believe the article was about preventing the malady in patients. And if you know what causes cervical cancer, the way to prevent it in 'Your Pediatrics Practice' is self-evident.

I don't think this site will ever compete with Jay Leno's 'Headlines', I will continue my personal crusade to improve our written and verbal communication skills.

What, Me Worry?

I sometimes upset Mom the Bomb because I don't worry about much, which can be interpreted that I don't care. It's not that I don't care. It's just that in my mind, worry is a useless emotion, because it is passive, and quite frequently, based on incomplete information. If something goes wrong, or you encounter some unexpected negative circumstance, don't spend time worrying about it. Find the cause and do something about it.

How much of your time do you spend worrying about things?

Other Reasons Living in Mexico is Great

Again, not in any order

1. Caldo Tlapeño at VIPS. This is the best chicken soup in the world!!!
2. Tacos al Pastor just about anywhere. Tacos you will never find in the USA.
3. Bubu Lubu, a chocolate, marshmallow and jelly creation. I like the name as much as the candy.
   
4. Mom the Bomb is here with me!!! This is really the #1 reason living in Mexico is great.
   

Pepe Needs Some Help

Friday I went to lunch with Pepe, one of my directors, and Melody, one of the managers at the company. Both are very good, decent, and smart people and both are transplants to Mexico City from Guadalajara. (If you know anyone from Guadalajara, you will know how rare it is that they will even consider moving to Mexico City.) Pepe is a very religious guy, and Melody is always talking and making people laugh.

Anyway, during lunch, Melody asks 'Michael, did Pepe tell you what his wife wants?' My answer was no, because I had no idea.

'Another baby,' was Melody's reply.

'Michael, can you help me?' Pepe asked.

'Pepe, I think I'll need to ask my wife first,' I replied.

Then Pepe, all flustered said 'No, that's not what I mean. I mean, what do I do?'

'Pepe, I believe Melody can tell you what you need to do.'

What he really wanted to know was how he could win the argument with his wife about another child. To that I simply replied, 'Don't even try. You'll never win.'

Accuracy in communication is very important......

Stake Bishops' Council

Our stake in Mexico has a monthly Bishops' Council, mostly for training Bishops and their counselors. Our bishop likes to make sure our ward has a good representation at these meetings. Even though I'm not in the bishopric, he asked me to attend the last meeting, so I did, and in typical fashon, it started and ended 30 minutes late. It turns out that the real reason the bishop asked me to attend is that he needed a ride to the meeting, as his wife was occupying their only car. It's amazing the opportunities we have to 'serve' others....

Waiting

Have you ever thought how much of your life is spent waiting? We wait at traffic lights. We wait for meetinfs to start. We wait for flights. We wait in line to pay. We wait for the amazon.com purchase to be delivered. And we wait dfor things we forgot. I've been at the airpot in Mexico Cirty waiting for various reasons 5 hours. Typical travel day.

Life Is Not Fair

As I told a co-worker today, as I handed him a severance check, in a perfect world with perfect bosses, this would not happen. I wish I were a perfect boss. I've had better days.

Reasons why working in Mexico is Great

These are not in any particular order.

1. The only workday in the week of March 17 is Tuesday, March 18. The other days are holidays.
2. Because I'm the boss, I can admit I was wrong, but no one can fire me.
3. I have to go to places like Los Cabos, Cancun, and Cozumel for business.
4. Most of the time, someone else pays for the trips mentioned above (someone other than my company).
5. Many people think it's great that a gringo would really come to work in Mexico, and actually want to stay.
6. I can actually make a difference in the lives of some people I know. (This seemed to be more difficult in the States).

The house with muebles

Here are some pictures of the furnished house.


















Funny Story -- Jerónimo, the maintence guy for the 4 houses here, is very consciencious. He tried to help us save a couple of bucks by turning off the water heater while we were both out of town this week. Great idea but bad execution, because he didn't turn on the water heater until I got out of the shower this morning. It was a bit cold!!!

Living in Mexico

At age 53, Mom the Bomb and I have started another adventure: We bought a home in Mexico. And for those who think buying a home in the USA is complicated, you don't know how good you have it. But it is not so much that the process in Mexico is bad or wrong, it is just different (like most things). The key to enjoying any culture that is not your native culture is to accept the differences, and look for the good.

Here are some fotos.

This is the living room. But until our goods arrive from the USA, the built-in couch also serves as master bedroom, office, dining room, etc. We really like the wood floors and wood ceilings.




This is the entry, with marble flooring.





This is a view of the dining and living rooms.