I'm in no way a phony you baloney...Just pointing out that some exaggerate through keyboards.



This is totally random but I'm curious Slim, do you live in a really small town?

Exaggerate: say more than is true. Sounds like being phoney to me.

To answer your question (which you seem to have a problem doing for me), I left a city of 173,339, which is either the second or third largest city in Califonia next to Los Angeles back in 1987 when I married. We wanted to move out to the county, and away from the congestion and hectic pace of city life, so we moved to a town of about 4,000 which in 15 year has grown to 23,302.

I've also done a fair amount of traveling, which includes Chile, Nova Scotia, Puerto Rico, a good part of the East Coast (both US and Canada), plus many other places to numerous to bore you with. Back in the ealy 70's I was a Weapons Mechanic in the Air Force. I've also worked as a food processing scientist (co-authored two papers in scientific journals), been an assistant manager at a retail nursery (I have a degree in Landscaping and Hortculture) and have designed 100's of Landscapes, once winning first prize in nationwide Landscape design contest, and was a Graphic designer for many years. Currently, I'm working for a fairly large privately owned printing company (CD's and technical document) as Hewlett-Packard's International Mailing Supervisor ... preparing and sending their customers information on upgrades they're entitled, to over 35 countries worldwide, which includes all customs paperwork, invoices, booking of flights, etc.

I know this is more info than you requested ... but what the heck. Not too many of the new folks here know that much about me, other than my rantings ... hehehe!

Now thems braggin' rights Slim! Good for you!

Slim, when are ya gonna take a trip to the Chicago area? (sorry to go off the topic)..Wow...That is very interesting Slim!...Didn't know much of that...I once broke my clavicle playing flag football in college..LOL

No kidding? I've been in the food processing biz for quite a while myself.Yep it's true,right this very minute I'm processing the bagel I had this morning and the chefs salad I had for lunch.Thats not all,the truly scientific part usually happens tonight at about 10:00PM and again tomorrow morning at about 6:30 AM. Interesting eh?

Jim, this scientific process you speak of ... is there any connection between it and those LeRoi du Merde cigars that're mentioned in the other post???

(NOTE that this is not a thread-jacking but a thread-docking ... just tryin to tie up loose threads)

Truth is you can go w/out passport. The Cuban government will not stamp passports if requested so when you make the side trips and do it often our goverment does not see it.....Reason being........they encourage us to come back to spend U.S. dollars. American money is worth more to them than their currency. They can trade American money for dry goods which are more valuable to them than the buying power their money has. Trust me......I have friends that do it yearly and bring me back goodies....you know what I mean!

Steve, this one and many more were jacked way before we got here. LOL....BTW my expertise is in production not packaging.

From Mexico, you have to HAVE a passport for ID (they wouldn't accept a birth certificate or any other American ID) to enter Cuba but (you are correct) they will not stamp it...Not that I tried to go, but if I were to do research into the subject 😉

Going in and out of Mexico to Cuba is a piece of cake at least it was 2 years ago. The Mexican imigation officer will not stamp your pass port IF you have a 10 dollar bill in side when you give it to him. I was told to go to the bathroom and put the money inside of the passport and go thru the line again. On the cuban side they WILL NOT accept the bribe, but also they will NOT stamp your passport.

That sounds like a good deal. I think I might try a side trip next time I travel sur de la frontera. I tried from Costa Rica, but their state department is so closely alligned the the U.S. it is impossible. I even had a friend who was Chief of Immigration Police in San Jose C.R. He said I was S.O.L. trying to get to Cuba from Central America. I am glad to hear Cuba is a little more receptive nowadays.

LOL@JJ!