2018-02-05 16:02
Well, after almost ten years it’s time to say goodbye to an old friend. Eddsaid is about to be put to rest.My very first post, some political nonsense about John McCain, was written on… Read More
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Eddsaid--musings On Just About Anything Blog
eddsaid.blogspot.com
Moving abroad is not an easy decision or process. And, truly, becoming an expat is not for everyone. I hope you find the experiences and observations I share of our life in Ecuador to be helpful, informative and entertaining!
2018-01-28 22:56
There has been a frantic amount of activity going on this month in preparation for the publication of our first book. Photo shoots--cover design--formatting--Amazon page--media strategy.We&r&hell…Read More
2018-01-24 17:43
I want you loyal readers to be the first to learn some very exciting news! After months of behind-the-scenes effort Cynthia and I are soon publishing a trilogy of books based on these blogs… Read More
2017-12-24 16:31
For our Christmas Eve dinner Cynthia and I decided to have pork as the entree to accompany her cornbread dressing, green beans, and pumpkin pie. A weekend walk we often enjoy along the Yanun… Read More
2017-12-21 21:37
Cynthia and I are in Cuenca during December for the first time in six years, and holiday-wise we haven’t known exactly what to do with ourselves. There are lots of special Christmas ev… Read More
2017-12-13 23:28
Ah, an elegant dinner party. The flowers, candles, and music. A beautifully set table. Wonderful food, drink, and camaraderie. What’s not to love?Well, if you’re the host, there… Read More
2017-12-08 23:04
Cynthia and I pretty much take our daily lives for granted. You most likely do the same. I mean, it's your life and you live it all day every day. You've been doing it for years. What's to t… Read More
2017-10-03 23:07
Mug cakes aren't the only food category where Cynthia and I arrived late to the party. A much more basic topic hiding in plain view has until recently eluded us for years.Our daughter's home… Read More
2017-09-30 22:35
Have you ever heard of a mug cake? If so, why the hell haven't you told me about it? We were having dinner at a couple's home last week when the hostess said something about an easy dessert… Read More
2017-09-26 21:54
Happy Fall, y'all. With the official changing of the season many of you are probably looking forward to putting away the shorts and tee shirts in favor of jackets and sweaters. The leaves wi… Read More
2017-09-03 16:46
Cynthia and I are honored to be featured in this article today by author and financial planner Ben Carlson:An Alternative Solution to the Retirement CrisisPosted September 2, 2017 by Ben Car… Read More
2017-08-23 19:12
Abundant appreciation to the many kind friends who reached out to us during Cynthia's recent health scare. I wanted to update everyone that she is doing great. We normally think twice before… Read More
2017-08-15 23:49
It's amazing how life can sometimes change in the blink of an eye. My last post described a lovely walk through the neighborhood. Two days later all hell broke loose.Cynthia was experiencing… Read More
2017-08-06 22:08
Recently if you were to say that I'm a little flaky I would readily agree with you. Should you comment that I've really got sex a-peel I'd appreciate the compliment. For the past three days… Read More
2017-07-30 22:59
***WARNING: WORSE THAN LAST TIME***No, not the restaurant chain, silly. I'm talking about me.This recent exchange says it all:Friend: "Damn, dude, that's the worst sunburn I've ever seen."Me… Read More
2017-07-26 19:36
***WARNING---THIS POST CONTAINS GRAPHIC IMAGES***"What in the world happened to your face?!?!"I've been getting that a lot recently. And will continue to for the next several weeks.Was I in… Read More
2017-07-10 13:55
Two kids fell in love in the summer of 1967. From the start their romance was improbable and unconventional. He was a freshman in college; she was a freshman in high school. No one except th… Read More
2017-07-09 23:14
We were catching up with local friends last night over dinner and they asked, "So what's been going on with you two since we last saw you?" I proceeded to rattle off the following:"Well, at… Read More
2017-06-30 20:53
To me there's a big difference between a "trip" and a "vacation." Taking a trip means you're out and about seeing and doing things. A vacation is more about kicking back and relaxing.During… Read More
2017-06-13 13:24
The three most frequently asked questions I receive are, in order:Why Ecuador/Cuenca?What do you do all day?Do you think you'll live in Cuenca forever?Cynthia and I arrived here seven years… Read More
2017-06-08 18:28
We returned last night from a month-plus in the States to, as usual, an empty refrigerator and pantry. So my first order of business this morning was a visit to the Supermaxi to replenish ou… Read More
2017-05-26 22:56
When Tom challenged me to a game of pool I told him it had been years----. "No problem," he said. "You break.""You sure?""Yep. Go for it.""OK-----."In high school I did well in geometry. But… Read More
2017-05-20 01:12
After mud wrestling with Priceline for days I'd finally secured a reservation on a mid-sized car for only $13 a day. It's not that the regular rate was crazy expensive for the few days we wo… Read More
2017-05-14 00:31
It seemed like a simple enough idea--go pick up a bottle of chardonnay to enjoy in our hotel room and sparkling wine to celebrate the end of the conference. Google Maps showed a liquor store… Read More
2017-05-05 02:13
I enjoy a couple of cups of coffee each morning. Except for an occasional glass of iced tea at lunch I'm done with caffeine for the day. Meeting someone for a coffee? Nah. Coffee with desser… Read More
2017-04-30 23:11
Cynthia and I watched a documentary about the history and future of the Internet last night. There were some fascinating as well as disturbing segments (addicted online gamers in Japan and S… Read More
2017-04-20 00:51
Simplifying our lives is an ongoing intention in Casa Staton. Ancient Chinese wisdom states that "the easiest journey has the least baggage," and over the past seven years we've succeeded in… Read More
2017-04-16 16:55
We were at lunch recently with good friends we haven't seen for awhile. In response to a question about what she'd been up to the female of the couple replied, "Well, I haven't been people-i… Read More
2017-03-28 17:38
I woke up Sunday to a rainy morning, the perfect setting to bake those chocolate chip cookies I talked about in my last post. Sunday's are the one quiet day in our neighborhood--no sounds of… Read More
2017-03-17 23:21
We've been here in Cuenca since the middle of January and don't return to the U.S. until the first part of May. That's the longest stretch at home in I don't know how long. It's been a joy t… Read More
2017-02-28 16:20
A few days ago I absentmindedly dropped our coffee pot on the tile floor in the kitchen. This aggravated me for three reasons: 1) I obviously wasn't fully present in the moment, 2) I'd creat… Read More
2017-02-25 22:00
Tomorrow night is the Academy Awards show, so Cynthia and I have been watching the nominated films like crazy recently. Each year it's a tradition for us to see every movie in the major nomi… Read More
2017-02-24 23:59
I keep up with political news in the U.S. I know all about the protesters who, almost four months later, still can't believe that Trump won. I know about Trump constantly lambasting the medi… Read More
2017-02-12 00:17
Are you old enough to remember the "joke" about a certain European nationality changing a light bulb? (Answer--3. One to hold the bulb and two to turn the ladder). This post isn't about ethn… Read More
2017-01-27 21:34
Back in the 60's we had all sorts of protests going--civil rights and the anti-war movements especially, as well as the beginnings of those for women and gays. I was a college student during… Read More
2017-01-22 15:22
I'm 68 today and it's a pretty weird place to be. There's no denying my age, but whatever fleeting notion I had when I was younger of this stage of life is not playing out as expected.From e… Read More
2017-01-19 23:46
After we arrived home Tuesday evening and lugged all the maximum weight luggage and stuffed carry on's up four flights of stairs, we were too pooped to do much except a little unpacking. Of… Read More
2017-01-16 21:07
A l-o-n-g family visit to the U.S. has come to a close, and I'm thrilled to report that after months of chemotherapy and recent surgery our daughter Adrian is now 100% cancer-free!!. What a… Read More
2016-12-21 23:37
Ecuador isn't much of a high tech country. Sure, we've got WiFi and ATM's, but a lot of things you take for granted in the U.S. simply do not exist in my world. And since I'm not exactly a h… Read More
2016-12-12 00:32
It has been over two years since I’ve written about Hearts of Gold, a non-profit charitable foundation here in Cuenca. When I learned they had recently celebrated their third anniversa… Read More
2016-12-04 16:17
This has been an unexpectedly challenging year for the Staton family. No patient anticipates a devastating diagnosis from one’s doctor, and no parent can ever be prepared for that phon… Read More
2016-11-06 16:49
Wow, it's hard to believe after such a short time at home that I'm outta here again tonight. Cynthia and I will be attending a BIG International Living conference (almost 700 attendees!) in… Read More
2016-10-29 19:34
I’ve been wanting to comment on the upcoming presidential election but there has been so much late-breaking news that I can’t keep up! Perhaps some new development will be in the… Read More
2016-10-23 18:02
This article I wrote was just published in IL's Ecuador Insider. Thought you might enjoy it as well."My wife Cynthia and I look forward to participating in IL's exciting new Bootcamp event i… Read More
2016-10-19 21:15
Habitat III, a United Nations-sponsored conference on sustainable living, has drawn 20,000 attendees from all over the globe to Quito this week. Cuenca is in the spotlight as the only city i… Read More
2016-10-09 18:42
At the moment Cynthia is participating in a weekend yoga/meditation/detox retreat somewhere outside of Cuenca. When she was signing up she asked me if I wanted to join her. My only hesitatio… Read More
2016-10-02 20:48
The 2nd annual Cuenca Art Walk has been in full swing this weekend. Fifty-five different venues all over the city have opened their doors for patrons to enjoy art, music, dance, and food. Cy… Read More
2016-09-28 02:14
Let me begin by thanking so many of you for your kindness regarding our daughter Adrian. I am pleased to report that she is responding extremely well to her treatment and we have every reaso… Read More
2016-08-08 20:27
In June our daughter Adrian was diagnosed with breast cancer. Cynthia immediately flew to the States to join the family and I followed a week ago. We will be here in New Jersey until the end… Read More
2016-06-24 16:03
I want to address a subject that is very important to me today. I awoke this morning to learn that the UK's citizens have voted overwhelmingly to withdraw from the European Union.This news c… Read More
2016-06-07 14:26
We recently enjoyed a very special weekend that I'd like to share with you. Through our good friends at TerraDiversa tour company Cynthia and I have had the pleasure of several horseback rid… Read More
2016-06-05 22:43
On Sunday we often hang out at home and don't even unlock the door. For "retired people" we're often quite busy during the week and this day of R&R really suits us.Today began with that… Read More
2016-05-31 23:50
Did we really go to Galapagos two weeks ago? Cynthia especially had dreamed of this trip for so many years. And no matter how many photos you've seen of other people standing right next to t… Read More
2016-05-29 23:17
The last day of the cruise was predictably filled with activities. We had arrived at Isla Floreana, an outpost for pirates, whalers, and sealers back in the day. After observing sea lions lo… Read More
2016-05-29 00:34
We woke up today amazed that this was only our third full day of the cruise. We’ve been kept so busy that it seemed like we’d been on the boat MUCH longer. That’s a good th… Read More
2016-05-27 21:50
And an early start today because of a very busy morning itinerary. First a steep, somewhat challenging vertical hiketo Darwin Lake, a super-salty crater lake on Isabela.Great views and a coo… Read More
2016-05-26 22:43
This day proceeded at a much more relaxing pace. For the morning activity we chose a short boat trip plus snorkeling at Isla Isabela, the largest island in Galapagos formed by the merging ov… Read More
2016-05-25 23:23
Wow, our Galapagos adventure was so amazing (and there are too many great photos) that it's impossible to try and condense the whole journey into one blog post. So let's go back to the begin… Read More
2016-05-10 01:31
Since we got back into town Friday and are leaving again in the morning our grocery shopping was minimal. In fact, we haven't cooked a single meal, choosing instead to eat a big lunch out an… Read More
2016-05-08 20:55
Parque de la Madre is a large public space across the Tomebamba river from Old Town. A couple of years ago the park underwent a major renovation, including underground parking, new playgroun… Read More
2016-05-07 03:09
So we got home this morning two days late when the Cuenca airport finally reopened after shutting down a week ago. "An airport shut down for a week? Why?," you might (and should) ask. Becaus… Read More
2016-04-21 01:09
I'm sure you've all read about the recent devastating earthquake in Ecuador. Please know that the damage was mostly confined to the northwest coastal area of the country. Here is a reprinted… Read More
2016-04-15 16:15
Have five days come and gone already? Once a conference starts time becomes a blur. We had a fab experience all week--the French Quarter Festival, Garden District, lots of wandering around… Read More
2016-04-09 13:01
We're leaving for the States in about an hour and won't return to Cuenca until the beginning of May. First stop is New Orleans for an International Living conference. Before we get to work o… Read More
2016-04-02 19:10
I mentioned in a previous post about bumping into a new art gallery last week. Yesterday evening was its grand opening, and as promised we were there. Take a look at the size of the crowd an… Read More
2016-03-30 17:10
Holy Week has come and gone. As I showed in my last post thousands of Ecuadorians were visiting local churches and celebrating the holiday in various ways. But while the population is 95% Ca… Read More
2016-03-26 21:08
Every year before Easter as many as 10,000 Catholics hit the streets of Cuenca to participate in Maunday Thursday. This tradition dates back to Roman times when Christian pilgrims visited th… Read More
2016-03-24 20:25
One of the joys of pedestrian life is you never know what you might encounter when you're out wandering around. I offer you last night as a prime example.We met great friends for an amazing… Read More
2016-03-22 01:40
I've written before about the sage advice given to me years ago by a Cuencana: "Try to get one thing a day done here. Everything else is a bonus."But sometimes there's more than one thing th… Read More
2016-03-20 14:26
Dear friends invited us to a luncheon celebrating the baptism of their grandson. We didn't really know what to expect. I'll let these photos tell the story.Needless to say, we had an amazing… Read More
2016-03-17 01:42
The last couple of days have been a blur. In a way that is a play on words, at least from Cynthia’s viewpoint (there I go again!). You see (counting the title that's four puns already… Read More
2016-03-15 17:54
No, not that kind, silly. Propane gas. We almost ran out of it yesterday, though, and it was all my fault. Let me explain.Propane in our apartment is needed to heat our water, cook our food… Read More
2016-03-15 01:16
Saturday afternoon we were picked up by friends and driven to Challuabamba, Cuenca’s ritziest suburb. Mutual friends had invited all of us to a dinner party, after which Cynthia and I… Read More
2016-03-12 21:44
I begin this post by expressing my sincere gratitude for the outpouring of support I have received from you readers these past few days. The comment section here and especially my email inbo… Read More
2016-03-12 21:41
I'll be so happy when there are no longer Frederico Flintstone updates. This morning he switched hats and became Paul Bunyan as he put down his hammer and chisel and picked up---a chainsaw!… Read More
2016-03-10 17:16
Frederico Flintstone update: upon taking a closer look, the poor guy is taking his hammer and chisel to boulders! Is that what you'd call a rock the size of the base snowball on a Frosty the… Read More
2016-03-09 21:58
A friend of mine asked yesterday, "Why aren't you writing more blog posts?" After running through a number of excuses I finally admitted, "I dunno, dude, it doesn't seem like our daily life… Read More
2016-02-01 01:47
With the New Year come those Resolutions that many of us earnestly make. And break. January is over and it's likely that some readers have already seen a well-intended "commitment" fall by t… Read More
2016-01-24 19:21
I turned 67 today and it's kind of a weird feeling. No, not that I'm getting older. Actually just the opposite. Since we moved to Ecuador over 5 1/2 years ago I believe I look and know I fee… Read More
2016-01-15 00:45
Hi, everyone. After spending a long holiday with our family in the States and getting our life in Cuenca rolling again I'm back to blogging. I've got a lot of topics I want to share with you… Read More
2015-11-14 17:45
We just got back to Cuenca today after a long vacation at the beach. I've been meaning to write about our trip over there on the bus but was too busy doing, well, not much of anything. Isn't… Read More
2015-11-06 16:33
I sat on the beach this afternoon alone. When I say alone, I mean alone. As in not-a-single-person-in- sight-as-far-as-the-eye-can-see-in-every-direction alone.The beautiful 24 unit condo bu… Read More
2015-11-02 21:43
OK, I gave you an advance glimpse of the Halloween costume party we went to last week. Our good friends and hosts Michael & Cheri Edwards had the brilliant idea to challenge us guests to… Read More
2015-10-31 23:36
This weekend our hometown hosts its biggest party of the year celebrating Cuenca Independence Day. All hotels are fully booked as 100,000 visitors have poured into the city to participate in… Read More
2015-10-27 20:41
A prerequisite to successful expat life is the ability to be flexible. So many aspects of your daily experiences abroad are different from what you're used to wherever you came from. Your ch… Read More
2015-10-18 23:09
Our normal strategy for travels to the States is to keep going. By that I mean scheduling flights with minimal layovers and absolutely NO overnight stays. A short layover is a great excuse t… Read More
2015-10-16 22:44
I'm sitting here savoring a plate of Parrano and sharp cheddar cheese with fruit and crackers. That may not seem like a big deal because you don't realize that cheese in Ecuador pretty much… Read More
2015-10-16 13:51
We were abruptly awakened at 5:08 AM by---a car alarm? A house alarm? Barking dogs? All excellent guesses but, no, this time it was by an----EARTHQUAKE!!!This was I think the fifth one we've… Read More
2015-10-08 03:03
In a scene that's repeated every time we travel, I'm done packing (like in 15 minutes) and Cynthia is still hard at it. Is that our private scenario or do you other couples go through the sa… Read More
2015-10-02 00:29
1. We lived in Las Vegas for 4 years before moving to Ecuador, right? So you think we'd be used to the heat, but my God, during our week there for the IL conference we were constantly asking… Read More
2015-09-15 21:32
I'm honored to continue to be recognized by InterNations as one of Ecuador's top bloggers. InterNations is the largest international community for people who live and work abroad, offering g… Read More
2015-09-10 02:59
For anyone interested, the dryer showed up today right on time. I'm going to give that company glowing recommendations in every online publication in Cuenca!As an IL correspondent I'm always… Read More
2015-09-06 23:21
This time I'm enjoying an ice cold beer, but I'm not celebrating as much as I am savoring my most recent experience. To digress a moment, you may be rightfully wondering why so many blogs al… Read More
2015-09-05 18:44
On a recent trip back to the States baggage handlers ripped the handle off of a zipper on my suitcase. Based on yesterday's good vibrations I decided to throw caution to the wind and try to… Read More
2015-09-05 12:51
I'm sitting here sipping a Bailey's, vodka, and milk over ice (what would that be? A White Irishman?) to celebrate an exceptional day. Cynthia left for the States on Wednesday, a week ahead… Read More
2015-08-27 20:34
When Cynthia and I attend International Living conferences (we'll be at this year's Fast Track Your Retirement Overseas conference in Las Vegas from September 25-27, in fact) the most freque… Read More
2015-08-12 14:49
I recently started to notice that my teeth were looking kind of tired after a lifetime of consuming grape popsicles, blueberries, red wine, coffee, and whatever else is a staining agent. In… Read More
2015-07-29 12:31
In my last post I talked about differences between life in Ecuador versus the United States, focusing on shopping at the grocery store. This time I want to mention a trend just beginning her… Read More
2015-07-25 01:09
We've recently returned from a couple of months in the States visiting family (with a week in Cancun at the International Living Ultimate Event thrown in). When we come home I can't help but… Read More
2015-05-20 03:10
Cynthia and I have been house sitting for our daughter and family this past week here in New Jersey. After enduring months of constant snow in the yard a change of scenery was in order, so t… Read More
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