Tucson, Arizona wash-in weekend of 23-mar-07 to 25-mar-07

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Sure Chad, Border Guards will take Sam's cards...

Please make sure it says, El Grande Samo Walmarto.

*runs*

LOL sorry, couldn't pass it up after seeing what a joke it is that the IRS is giving me back in refunds....
3 words: ABOLISH THE IRS!!!
 
Ok..Time to find a number to call

Maytag Mom
If you don't mind me being nosey, what problems are you having with the IRS?? I work for HR Block part time, curious
 
Considering the way it is now, if you respect your own personal safety and/or would like to keep your life, it's best to stay out. Recently, (to make a long story short) an acquaintance of my dad was down on a large ranch Nuevo Laredo with a few other friends (some of which were even Mexican citizens) for a hunting trip, and they were all kidnapped and held hostage by gang members for several days. Luckily, this acquaintance was one of the first released by them, and I believe everyone else made it out alive as well, thank God.

Although I think Toggle's comment was meant as a joke...at least I interpreted it that way. It's just WAY too risky.
 
NEXT!

I really WAS contemplating a quickie vist. Somehow doesn't seem all that interesting anymore.

BTW this is the only situation in the world that a "rich" country borders on a "poor" one. Fact. not a judgement.
 
ABOLISH THE IRS!!!

You should see their gorgeous new (read: expensive) building on Broadway in lower Manhattan......

[I was near there the other day on business].

Not that there was anything (seemingly) wrong with the prior one.
 
Mexico

ive been to Laredo (many times) and Juarez and have lived to tell about it. first, dont drive, esp your own car. for a day trip, park your car on "this side" and walk over.

second, dress simply/modestly. casual (inexpensive) shoes and accessories are the thing to wear. leave your ritzy leather items and fancy watches/jewelry at home.

seems mexican criminals prey on seemingly affluent individuals. while American culture sometimes encourages people to go for an expensive "look", when you visit Mexico, do the opposite.

many of the news stories you see on TV involve drug dealers, or rich people. im convinced its exaggerated, esp since the american pharma industry is soo powerfull and HATES the selling of prescription drugs in Mexico to American residents.
 
Hittin' Boyz town in Mexico...

I agree w/David, on "leaving the car on this side and walking over". The lines of cars to go into Mexico is horrendous, and you have to purchase Mexcian Insurance anywho. They drive like maniacs on crack there.

Having been to Mexico several times, (Juarez, Nuevo Laredo) That is how we did it.

Last time I went was in July 4th 2003. Wear comfy shoes, hide your money, and politely turn away from all the beggers, and do NOT come back with prescriptions from the US being filled down there. Nor would I get any "work" done down there.

All in all, the people were very friendly and actually speak better English than the immigrants who live here....(they think all Americans have $$$...and I guess we do...lol) I took about $400 in cash and couldn't even spend it all, much less carry all the crap back I bought, so turn down offers from little boys who want to carry stuff back for you too)

I came back with some fabulous art, that here sells for 3X the amount.

You can mosey up to a bar at 9 am and start drinking...the buys are faaaaabulous, but it's dirty, crowded and noisy there. (Seems they want to honk their horns at every turn)

Border town merchants all take USD, so no need to exchange the money rate. Besides, after 5 Tecates and shots of Cuevo, you can't +/- in their exchange anyways...LOL

Just my .03254 cents worth.

PS to Chad: I just think I should get back more than I am getting...Lawd knows the taxes I pay is more than some folks salary. What a pisser!
 
Back to the Tucson, Arizona wash-in weekend...........

Greetings all..... for the newby in the group (ME!), can you tell me how these "wash-in's" work?

What kind of things/events happen at a "wash-in?
Is there a schedule of events for the weekend?
Are there any fees involved, aside from hotel, food, etc?

Sounds like fun, but I'd like to know more!

THANKS!!!
 
Kevin, it's exactly that. We paid about $20 as a registration fee. Taht helped cover the cost of snacks and a main meal or two each day. We stood or sat around and washed clothes (play laundry--or in Ross' case, he had saved up a ton of laundry as well as church linens to be washed), sahred experiences from the past, and just had a good time being together watching machines and enjoing each others' company while doin' the duds in the suds. And getting ot nkow each otehr, that's where some of us have developed the close bonds over the years. AND, as a extra dividend, you get to observe the master himself producing BobLoads in dishwashers!!! I think Nate is still in awe lol. And undoubtedly, we will geet to see some surprises of what's been added to to Roger, Nate, and Ross' collections ni the last year. And Roger also has quite a vacuume colleciton too. And last but not lease,you get to experrience our wonderful Den Mother, Venus!!!
 
As we all know, I don't prerinse, just kihnda scrape and shake the plates and stuff lol. I think Venus went into overload as I was standing next to the sink with one of the portable KitchenAids I had loaded and was running and when it went into the first drain, I had my hand under the draining water stream and yelled, "Look Mom, food chunks, food chunks!!" She went screaming from the room. It made my weekend lol.
 
While doin' the duds in the suds...

That's cute... I like it!

OK, more questions!

So how does one register / who does one register with??
Is it $20 for the weekend or per day?
Is there a deadline to register?
Is/was there a notice posted or to you get e-mail or flyers about these events?
Can one register and pay at the door?
Is it always in someones home, or a couple different homes or?

Thanks again!!!!
 
Kevin, I'll email (the address in your profile) you the flyer Nate sent late last fall. That will give you some information. It was $20 for the weekend. No deadline. It will be at Ross, Roger, and Nate's homes. Yes, events are always at someone'shome (or multiples in this case since they're in the same city).
 
Kidnappings, Banditos, etc

Generally you are not going to get kidnapped strolling around shopping for bargains in a border town. The trouble tends to happen on the road out in the sticks far from any town or police. I've done a lot of driving in Mexico, a couple of times to Guaymas, once to Mazatlan, and cris-crossing the country from San Miguel over to Vera Cruz and back to Acupulco and Ixtapa, circling back around to San Miguel. Never any problems. But I have heard horror stories from others and in most cases they were driving a shiny new car. My driving was behind the wheel of a 10-year old Galaxie or an old Datsun. We blended in just fine and in some cases the license plates had the same color scheme as ours which helped even more.

If you just want to go across for the day and do some bargain hunting or pick up some good Mexican booze for cheap, you shouldn't have any problem and as the immigration site advised, the passport thing is only for air travelers. If you walk across you shouldn't have any trouble as long as you have a driver's license with your photo on it. A birth certificate is always a good idea, but keep in mind, this is the stuff you need to get back into the states. You can walk into Mexico without any documents at all, but you'll need some kind of ID to get through U.S. customs when you return.

I can attest to this because I attended a wedding in Chula Vista, south of San Diego, and the reception was held in Tijuana. Nobody needed any special papers or a Tijuana reception would have been a logistical nightmare. We went across in vans to the reception hall. At the end of the evening we were among the last to leave. We allowed some ladies onto the last van and decided we'd walk back across and get a cab to the house in Chula Vista. We had no problem with only our driver's licenses on us. And, because the Tijuana border crossing is the busiest on the planet, we beat the people home who were in the vans still waiting in line to get across! Nogales is much less busy and hectic compared to Tijuana and should be a relatively painless crossing.
 
Now, to bring this thread back up where it belongs...

Here's some of the great scenery that you will see in Tucson...
 
And another shot taken in Ross's neighborhood...since it's perched at the top of a plateau, the view goes on for MILES.
 
Hi Austin. Thank you for posting such lovely pictures of the Catalina Foothills area of Tucson. I enjoy waking up each morning to the beautiful scenery.

Ross
 
Ross, where are you in relation to the "Civano" community? My cousins moved there last year, it is supposedly a very eco-minded development but from the pictures I've seen it seems to have a strangely Stepford quality to it.
 
Hi Ralph. I do not know where the Civano community is. I live in the northeast part of town, also known as the
"Catalina Foothills". It is peaceful and quiet and I quite enjoy it.

Ross
 
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