Not in Uruguay

Well, we received a BBQ, today. It was delivered this morning. Doesn't really look like much, does it? It really isn't. Just a mid to lower priced Sears gas BBQ. Probably a couple of years of use and then it will need work. And how much would one pay for this used, low-quality BBQ? Would you believe $250 (and that is US).

"Why would you spend $250 for that piece of ****?" you might ask. Well, it is the only show in town. I bought it from an expat who no longer needed it. And I will have to do a little work to make it work with Uruguayan gas bottles (garafas). This is because the UY pressure for gas tanks is apparently lower than US standards. So I have to have a regulator and enlarged orifices for it to function properly.

Before moving I had purchased a brand new stainless steel, top of the line Weber BBQ. But we were told that it wouldn't be allowed in our household goods. As things turned out, I think I got bad information or maybe it was correct. Not important at this juncture. I returned the new BBQ before we shipped our goods and have ended up having to buy a much inferior piece of equipment. The only other choice it to learn how to use the Uruguayan style wood BBQ that came with the house. It is beautiful- and I hope to have the patience to use it someday. But when I want BBQ'd meat, I want it now! Sorry.

Next week sometime I hope to have the BBQ fired up and a couple of T-bone steaks on the grill. I will go down to the local butcher, point out the costillas con lomo that I want, hold up fingers for how thick I want them and walk away with steak dinner. Now if I can only find some sour cream for our baked potatoes......

Summer In Marindia

Another lovely day in Marindia. There was a warning about the excessive heat today- suggesting that we stay off the beach from 1-4, today. Being under a hole in the ozone layer means dangerous UV exposure, if you are not protected. However, at about 1, today, a lovely little breeze came along and once again we are experiencing a delicious summer day.

In Seattle the summer was fleeting and sketchy, at best. Here, however we have enjoyed day after day of lovely weather and for a change the water is very blue. You see, as close as we are to the mouth of the Rio Plata, many days we see brownish water from silt carried by the river. It is not really dirty, but looks dirty. However, on nice days like today- it could be a tropical setting anyplace in the world.

There is an ongoing fire in the next community, that started days ago on the 1st. It is mainly burning in unpopulated areas, but they are having a difficulty getting it under control. Fortunately for us, the wind is away from us, so we do not even get a whiff of the smoke. The helicopters bring load after load of water, but a stiff breeze seems to keep the fire going.

Other than that, we can think of no reason to complain. By the end of the week we hope to have some pictures of our progress. Denise complains that the blog has come to be all about the house. True. Unfortunately for the first 8-10 months  most of our efforts were relating to the house. Hopefully, we will begin to enjoy more of what Uruguay has to offer. But for now we will sit back and enjoy the summer.

New RSS Feed

I have added the RSS feature (to the upper left) in case you don't want to have to check back for new postings. I just started using it on other sites, myself, so I wasn't aware that I could offer the service. After subscribing to either the posts or comments, whenever a new post or comment comes up- a notification be mailed to you. Much easier to keep up to date.