Our Five Luxuries Living in the United States

The David Katague Clan, 2016

Just recently I wrote about our four luxuries residing in the US. This posting is an update adding the 5th luxury that I just remembered the other day after buying a Shiseido lipstick for Macrine.

"This year is our 57th year living in the US. Macrine turned 81 years old last March and I turned 82 years old last December 20. We have lived in almost all regions of the US except the South. We have resided in Chicago, Illinois* (5 years), Kansas City, Missouri** (5 years), Modesto, California*** (5 years), Pinole, California**** (12 years), Colesville, Maryland *****( 12 years) and currently in the eastern suburb of Sacramento, California since 2002.

Alix Katague graduating from Cornell University with a Bachelors in Computer Science with her Dad( Dodie) and Mom ( Ruth). Dodie is my oldest son. Alix, I am very proud of your accomplishments. Alix is now working for EERO, manufacturer of WIFI in San Francisco.

We have purchased six houses during those years and saw our four children and six grandchildren finished their college education ( BS and professional degrees) except for our youngest grand daughter who is only 14 years old. We have enjoyed vacationing in several countries outside the US. We have also visited almost all the big cities in the US.(http://davidbkatague.blogspot.com)

My youngest(14 yrs old)grand daughter, Carenna KT ( Katague-Thompson)

We have also built a retirement home and beach house and conference hall in Boac, Marinduque, Philippines (http://chateaudumer.blogspot.com).

Front Yard of our Retirement Home, Boac, Marinduque, Philippines

Today we live a simple life. Our five luxuries are:

1. The service of two Cleaning Ladies for the whole house twice a month.

2. The home service for a whole body massage (one hour each) once a month

3. Food Delivery Service for Gourmet cooked meals ( just heat it for 2 minutes) once to twice a week( Munchery.com )

4. Twice a month Escapade to our local Indian Casino for Dinner and a little Gambling ( slots and Pai Gow Poker) and

5. Macrine's used of Shiseido cosmetics and products for the last 5 decades. In case you do not know Shiseido cosmetics are very expensive. Their lipstick price ranged from $28 to $35 dollars. Just purchased one lipstick just the other day. Shiseido has a moisturizing cream priced at $280 for the 50 mL size.

However, the above is not their most expensive cream. For their most expensive cream read the article on the bottom of this page##.

Prior to the PD diagnosis of Macrine, we spent from 3 to 5 months every year at our retirement home in Marinduque. However, since last year, because of Macrine's health we were not able to travel to the Philippines and enjoyed our beach house. We really missed Amoingon, Boac (Chateau Du Mer) this time of the year when the weather in the Philippines is dry and cool.

Because of her PD and medications, Macrine felt isolated once in a while. Thus a visit and phone call from relatives and friends are very much welcome.

So what is in our future? This will depend on the progression of Macrine's Parkinson. For me, my arthritis has limited my movement a little, but my mind is sharp! I still enjoyed a mean game of duplicate bridge on line.

Friends and Relatives, please pray for our health so that we can continue our simple life here in the US perhaps for another decade. Another decade may be a dream but one can hope, anyway. Give us a call just to say hello, message us in FB or send us an e-mail and if you are nearby visit us! Macrine and I are looking forward for your call, message or visit. Surprise US!"

*http://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2011/12/chapter-7-life-in-chicago-illinois-and.html

**http://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2011/12/chapter-8-social-life-in-kansas-city.html

***http://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2011/12/life-in-modesto-california-1969-1974.html

****http://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2011/12/pinole-california-years-1990-2002.html

*****http://davidbkatague.blogspot.com/2011/12/fda-years-and-maryland-1990-2002.html

## http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/06/shiseido-worlds-most-expensive-cream/

Solar Lights in the Gardens of Chateau Du Mer, Marinduque

My favorite time of the day in Marinduque is at sunset and at twilight. During this time and up to midnight, I could show case my more than 50 solar lights of various types around the resort. Besides the solar lights, I have installed spot lights in all of the statuary's and garden sculptures near the Conference Hall and also in the Main House. The three photos( taken at twilight) above focused on the bridge lighting (red and white). The bridge is the focal point of the landscaping design of the beach house.




Solar Lights as viewed from the Conference Hall







The creek under the bridge is filled with native fish, crabs and snails during the summer season. Two years ago, I seeded the creek with tilapias in November. By May, it was already about 3 to 5 lbs. I feed the tilapias twice a day with commercial fish food. I told Edwin, my caretaker to harvest them before the rainy season, otherwise they will be flushed into the ocean, when the monsoon rains start around July-August. Edwin was able to harvest more than a dozen for his table. A couple of tilapias that remained in the creek were flushed into the ocean by August.


This photo is one of my favorite sunset picture taken from the balcony of the beach house. Macrine and I hope to see you soon in Marinduque-our island Paradise.

My First Acrostic Poem-Marinduque Beloved

Mt Malindig and Poctoy White Beach

My first attempt to write an acrostic and free style poem about our second home- Marinduque-Beloved. I hope you like it.

M ajestic Mount Malinding and its sulfur springs,
A bundance of fresh sea foods, fruits and vegetables;
R eknowned for its hospitable residents and the Putong
I sland of my dreams and my beloved second home.
N eglected sometimes by its leaders and balikbayans,
D evelopment of its natural resources sometimes butchered.
U nder the guise of political scheming, its residents suffer,
Q uite silence from majority of its residents.
U nity needed, but not attained due to crab mentality,
E manates apathy, indifference retards progress to my Island.

B eyond its borders, former residents are concerned
E very thing in this island paradise I treasured;
L et my dreams of the place be a tourist mecca,
O vershadowed sometimes by enmity and jealousy.
V erdant hills, white sands beaches, panoramic views,
E lixir of my life, my beloved Marinduque,
D reams and goals of my life be a reality soon!

I never claimed to be a poet, so if this poem stinks, I will understand.
The last time I wrote a poem was during my high school days in the 1950's.
Comments, anyone?

Some of My Favorite Relaxing and Romantic Music

Let's start the month of August with some relaxing and romantic music. It' been hot here in Northern California for the last two weeks and 3-digits temperature are predicted in the next ten days. Thanks God for Central Air Conditioning!

Not Dependable Service from Clarke and Rush

Two Years ago I purchased a new Carrier Furnace 80% Boost from Clark and Rush for total cost of $4439 including installation. I Have a 10 year warranty for manufacturer parts.

Last week at the middle of the Ten Day Heat Wave here in Northern California, our Air conditioner failed. The AC is humming outside- but no cool air is coming ( appeared the blower is defective). I immediately called my installer Clark and Rush. They answered they are fully booked for three weeks and do not answer emergency calls even from customers. I was so upset, I started calling 10 other cooling and heating service companies in The Sacramento area. Of the ten I called only one( Jaguar) had an opening within the next couple of days. The rest are booked for weeks ahead. While waiting for the service from Jaguar, Macrine and I stayed at the Mall in the afternoon when the temperature outside were over 100 and inside the house was 90. One night we stayed at my daughters house in Mid town Sacramento.

Jaguar diagnosed that the problem was indeed the blower and to replace it will cost $1536. The technician suggested to call our local Carrier Dealers and verify that the part is available locally and if not it has to be ordered from the manufacturer, since we still have the warranty on the parts. The diagnosis cost us $79.

There are several Carrier Furnace Dealers in our Area. The problem is not the part but the time availability for service. Most of the Cooling companies are fully booked. Luckily, I was able to talk to a Carrier Dealer, Comfort Master. I was told the blower is not available locally. It has to be ordered from the manufacturer and a service charge of $65 for a 2-day delivery window is required.

Since Comfort Master did not diagnosed the problem, they are hesitant to order it ahead and wants their own technician to diagnose it for an additional cost of $99. The earliest they can re diagnose the problem is two days from this writing date. I was told it would be the first week of July when we will have central air conditioning again. I hope the weather will cooperate in the next 10 days.

In the meantime, the heat wave is gone. High temperature during the next couple of days are in the low 90's. We have a Wall AC unit in our bedroom, so we can sleep, but the afternoon from 3 to 7PM, the whole house is hot, even though we have electric fans in the Kitchen and Family room, we still have to go to the Mall to cool off.

Lesson Learned: Not all Cooling Service Companies are Dependable, in spite of their Claim of superior Client Service.