----- Original Message ---- From: "scottebulger@comcast.net" <scottebulger@comcast.net> To: PUP <passagemaking-under-power@lists.samurai.com> Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2007 8:58:33 PM Subject: [PUP] Preparing to cast off, well kind of >I offered to only hang one formal dinner jacket and move everything else into drawers or cabinets. Dinner jacket? My dinner jacket is a tee shirt with the top half of a tuxedo imprinted. I wear it with black shorts. I have never been refused admission to any taco stand in the area. The vendor was holding onto his cart laughing hysterically. >We have automated deposits to a working account which the credit card auto bills/pays monthly. We use Quicken software. They have a bill paying service that sends out paper checks. The cost per check is less than US postage to send by mail. This is handy for those companies that are not set up for electronic payments. We have been using it for about 7 years and have had 0 problems. Make sure you notify your credit card companies that you will be using your cards in Mexico or elsewhere, otherwise they may deny approval. It has happened to us. Last night we ate at Carlos & Charlie"s on the malecon in La Paz. I had shrimp taquitos washed down with a couple of Pacificos and Eileen had a chicken quesadilla. We watched the sun go down over the mountains and it was about 80F. Dragging main is a big deal here, but it is families with their children in the car. It is hilarious to see a young dating couple in the front seat with a scowling grandma in the backseat riding shotgun. People were strolling the malecon and the vendors were out in force selling cotton candy, toys, and all manner of antijitos (snacks). The police were on foot patrol in white starched shirts and pants, mainly doing traffic control and ogleling the senoritas (me too!). They were having a free concert in the bandstand on the beach across from Carlos and Charlie"s. Sort of like a Mexican version of American Idol. Very entertaining. As you would expect some of the participants were very good and some deserved the hook. But the audience was very polite and clapped for everyone. We strolled down to Las Fuentes ice cream parlor after dinner. They have world class ice cream in exotic tropical flavors. Eileen had a coconut cream bar (she is addicted to them) and I had a guayaba bar. Life is good here. Truly a paradise location. Ran into a guy from Long Beach yesterday who owned Peter Pisciotta's Willard 36 twenty five years ago. Patrick Willard 40PH ALOHA La Paz, MX