MONDAY, 11/3/14

A new week begins and Judy heads out, ready for a slightly shorter week. The APEC Conference is in town for 6 days, beginning Thursday. Even President Obama is coming to Beijing. I haven’t heard anything directly from him or his people, so I guess he’s not dropping by our apartment for a visit. We’re going to go ahead with our trip to Shanghai on Friday.

Today is an errand day, and Judy left a to-do list. Now that I’m not going into BISS for beginning band instruction, she’s decided I have more time to chase down loose ends. I make my usual weekly grocery run to Metro. When I get back, I unpack, then head out again to the wet market for some fruit and vegetables.

On my way to the wet market, I stopped at a spot where I’ve noticed a little lady fixing shoes, coats, and just about everything that could be fixed with a heavy duty sewing machine. Judy bought a really nice bag for carrying her computer and assorted items when we’re traveling at the Container Store when we were home in July. One of the handles had torn. I showed the fix-it lady the bag. She glanced at it, grabbed some thread and went to work. Four minutes later, she handed it back, fixed. How much? It cost me 2 yuan (36 cents US). The more I’m here, the more of these type of people I notice. They’ve found their niche in the community and earn an income.

TUESDAY, 11/4/14

I began to feel a cold coming on yesterday, and it’s slightly worse today. I decided to stay in and rest. I spent some of the day looking at internet/TV plans for Ft. Worth for when we get home. We’ll be in the condo for three weeks, and it’ll get pretty boring without any digital devices. I also tried to set-up the electric bill for our condo in FW with their version of auto-pay. Something was wrong with the website, and it wouldn’t quite finish. I’ll try again in a few days.

Judy had a long, frustrating day. Everything she tried to do took twice as long as it should have. She is badly in need of a holiday. I think Shanghai will be the answer for both of us.