(Lun 03rd) Dan is working
on the screening panel, to lean in front of the fireplace, where we
have placed the cat litter box. The updraft there works pretty well
at taking odors away. He is matching this screen to the look of the
cat walkway near ceiling, with a large white panel with stained &
varnished surrounding trim. Five days of laundry hanging in the
backyard, and the beets cooking are filling the air with a good
earthy odor.
The time has come to plant some
calendula seeds we brought from our property in Anacortes. They are
yellow and hopefully some white.
(Mar 04th) A day of new
adventures. We were outside the laboratorio at the IMSS hospital by 6:45am,
having found a lucky parking space but a block away from the
hospital. We were to show up between 7am and 8am for our appointed pruebas (tests), blood draws for both of us and a urine sample for Dan. To our surprise, there were at least 30 others there
already. Thanks to one lady who told us to put our papers for the
tests on the counter on top of the stack already there, we quickly
got with the program. The chairs were full, so we leaned against the
wall. Within the next fifteen minutes there were over one hundred
more people waiting for blood tests. We saw one older lady stick her
lab slip farther down in the pile; sneaky. At 7:05am the lights came
on in the office and two attendants appeared. Also lights came on in
the room where we assumed the blood draws were taken. Next two
rolling tables were wheeled into the waiting area. On top of one was
a small P/A system. Now one of the attendants, in nurses uniform,
came out into the center of the waiting room and told everyone to
move back along the walls and out into the antechamber, and leave an
open space down the middle of the room. Does this sound like going
for an appointed blood draw in the US?
Now, about 7:15am, names are starting
to be called, in order that the papers were stacked, and the person
called walks to the window and is given a sticker label for the urine
sample – to be then placed on the tables. A few people were there
to only drop off urine samples. If there was a blood test ordered,
the patient is given a needle in its sterile package, along with the
needed number of labeled vials for blood. Next one steps into a
short line and waits for the next person to be called into the draw
room, where three nurses are taking blood. Simply hand your items to
the nurse. He or she cleans your arm with prepared alcohol cotton
swabs, draws the blood into the tubes you have given them, gives you
another cotton alcohol swab to hold on your arm and off you go.
Results are sent in to your doctor for your visit two days later.
Never have we seen so much efficiency! We were finished by 7:45.am
A few folks were still coming in and adding the lab order slips to
another pile on the counter. Used the restrooms, which rarely have
toilet paper, but we know to take our own.
Now we have two hours before Carmen's
dental appointment. We walked a couple blocks before we found a
restaurant for breakfast. The blood test was a fasting one and we
are now starving, or at least we think we are. Headed toward the
central park in Cordoba and saw the Christmas tree and decorations
already in place here. Walked further to the Waldos dollar store and
bought some more oatmeal cookies and more glass wide mouth storage
jars with wire bales. These do a good job of keeping ants out.
Drove the ten blocks to the dentist,
where Carmen experienced the two dentists working on her for two
hours. After Xrays and much poking and prodding, the decision was
made to leave the tooth in. Turned out that the abcess was not in
the tooth's nerve, which the root canal procedure today revealed had
been long dead. The necrotic tissue was removed. An antibiotic
injection was put into the base of the tooth. We were sent home with
a return date of next tuesday. Hopefully the infection would not
flare up again, but were given a prescription, just in case.
Shopped at Walmart, since we drove
right past it on the way home. Tuesday is the day for fresh fruit
and veggie sales. For instance, the best buy was the mandarins at
US$0.10 a pound.
(Mié 05th) Took Gardi out
on the front porch with us, on his leash. Dan measured for all the
mitered frame boards for the fireplace screen, and with a home-made
jig and Carmen's help, cut them. He misses his radial arm saw for
jobs like this, but it was just too bulky to ship down here for the
occasional use, since almost all construction here is with concrete,
brick and block. He then filled and sanded the frame pieces in
preparation for varnishing. Carmen filtered lumps out of dirt and
filled flower pots in preparation for planting flower and salad
greens seeds. Since we were working out on the front porch and in
the front yard all day, there were lots of opportunities to greet our
passersby. At least they're seeing that the gringos on the corner
get their hands dirty working just like the normal people.
(Jue 06th) Doctor's
appointments for each of us, to get the blood and urine tests
results. Carmen was immediately sent to a nutritionist consultant.
Her cholesterol was a bit high, and the consult nurse made a few
suggestions. But, in general, it seems that we are eating properly.
The nurse commented on the reported high level of obesity in the US,
and that people moving down here generally experience an improvement
in their diet due to the larger variety of inexepnsive fresh produce.
(We each have lost 20 pounds or so since moving here.) Carmen has
to return in a month for a follow-up. Meanwhile she has to go to the
IMSS archivo office, to pick up an envio (approved
referral) next week to get an appointment with a specialist to treat
her scleroderma. Dan has to pick up an envio also, to get an
appointment with an urologist. Also we made it a point to talk to
the jefe today to ask to have Dan's doctor changed to the same
one that Carmen has, to make appointments easier, since Dan
translates for Carmen. We were given the name & address of head
of the IMSS facility here so that Dan can write a solicitud
(request) to him. This is not something that anyone else at IMSS can
do prior to our anniversary date next August.
Shopped at Josefina's for more of those
delicious shelled peanuts with salt and lime on them. Went to the
China Azteca store for more paper lantern covers for the three
remaining indoor hanging light bulbs inside the house. Also shopped
at the Chedraui store for fish, cheese, and etc. We still have not
found a calendar, but this store said they would be coming in later
in the month.
(Vie 07th) Carmen dug up
the grass & weeds in front of house along inner wall and planted
seeds. Will they grow or will snails and slugs devour them? Also
water-soaked the pots that are full of dirt, waiting for seeds.
These are various favorite food plants & flowers seeds from the
US that we were not sure we could buy here, which managed to get
across the border with us in September. Dan started the varnishing
on the fireplace screen frame, and clear-varnished the garden bench
which sits on the front porch. We used the water-based clear varnish
which took us so long to obtain—it went on very easy and cleanup
was a snap – what a change from the regular high-VOC varnish we had
been using.
(Sáb 08th) The fireplace
screen is finished. Walked up to Ania & Franks new “in town”
house. Got an invite to their home for a Sunday afternoon meal,
along with maybe a board game. Dan talked with the fellow who will
be our roof renovation foreman, José Luís. They arranged that a
four-man crew will be starting here December 17th. Yea!
Frank said we might get a free calendar at the FortiFerre store, so
we took the time to walk there on the way home. The calendar doesn't
have any spaces for notes, but is in english & spanish, has all
the Mexican, Canadian & US holidays noted, and labels all the
days with the patron saint names & religious observances so
important here.
Today we had fish filet topped with a
crust of those luscious lime peanuts which were crushed. Just no end
to delicious foods, no matter where you live, if you apply a little
imagination when choosing ingredients. Carmen also made the first
batch of chocolate chip cookie dough since arriving here in Mexico.
Will be a bit different since the sugars we purchased are coarser
granules and the butter and margarine are a bit different in flavor.
