Uncle Bob's Defensive Driving

I am no poster child for safe driving. Arizona is overloaded with these traffic cameras that take your photo when you are speeding. I received such a ticket and enrolled in a defensive driving class. The word is a bit of a misnomer. Tonight, I attended my 4 hour and (1) 15 minute course with "Uncle Bob."

Yes, the instructor calls himself the "Uncle Bob of Defensive Driving." He advised us to google him and alas, he is the "real deal." He admits to being passionate about teaching defensive driving. In all of my 20 years of driving and few times at traffic school I have never heard anybody admit to "feeling passionate about defensive driving."

He dolled out some good advice, tips , etc with his own style, one part bartender and another performance artist (that is a stretch), and a touch of lecherous older teacher with mid-western charm. He shuns the National Safety Council's teachings as his are "better." He does have a web site with "Uncle Bob's 70 rules of safe driving." I will post the web site if anybody reads this blog and is interested.

Feliz Cumple, Maximo

Argentine friends come to visit

Last week, i had among other things back surgery-to remove a very enlarged and herniated/protruding disk. Its a long story. It was very painful and nothing was working. I was overnight in the hospital, my first time away from Leo for 2 nights. I am happy to say the surgery was successful but it is a long road to recovery

On top of it, our friends Mulu, Massimo and their daughter Guilia were coming in from Houston. Mulu and I became fast friends in Buenos Aires after attending a horrid ex-pat meeting where everybody complained about Argentina. That was 4 years ago and we have been friends since. I digress. Massimo, originally from Italy a geological engineer was transferred from Buenos Aires to Houston, Texas. It is quite the culture shock.

We took them to the Desert Botanical Garden where there is the Chiluluy glass exhibit. Its fantastic and blends in with the desert scenery. We also discovered an Ethiopian resurant. Mulu was in 7th heaven. I was happy to find some ethnic food!

On Sunday, it was Maximo's birthday. We had 3 Italian/Argentines on the barbeque cooking up chirrasco steak "the right way." We topped off the celebration with a tres leches cake.