This is going to be a short report today.

 

I walked 9558 steps today (so far, at 4:12 p.m.), at least half of it in Grecia after leaving Sanchez Lab this morning.

 

Marianela dropped me off there to get the four tests I wanted:

• Urinalysis (I have another UTI — never a surprise: I get them like clockwork; gotta get a prescription for antibiotics from a doc at the Sanchez Clinic)
• Renal study (par for the course, with only one working kidney)
• Blood sugar test (96 after a 12+ hour fast, within normal range)
• INR test (3.01. still a wee bit high but well below the last one which was 3.9; 2.0 to 3.0 is in normal range for someone on blood thinners)

But the noteworthy thing from the lab visit is that they used a larger gauge needle because they had to get more blood than usual, and the fingerprint-size circular bandaid they put on the puncture wound didn’t do the job, so when I went into the bathroom to pee in the cup, I noticed that my left arm and the entire left hand side of my shirt were drenched in blood. LOVELY!  Just LOVELY!  And I was wearing my white sloth Point Defiance t-shirt so of course theblood stuck out like a sore thumb.

 

When I went back into the lab with the urine sample, I showed them the problem and they checked to make sure the bleeding wasn’t still happening and that nothing was hurting. Then they put a cottom ball over the punctured area and taped it down.  Not a drop of blood happened to the new dressing.

 

But there I was, walking down the street toward the middle of town looking like I had just survived a knifing, so I headed straight for Cafe Delicias, ordered a brunch and then disappeared into the bathroom to take off my shirt and run it and soap under cold water until the stains were all but undetectable. I knew I still had a lot of shopping to do — unless the lab called me after seeing the INR level and told me to get my butt to a hospital, which I was a little concerned about after seeing all the blood — and I didn’t want to go around looking like The Walking Dead.

 

I really shoulda taken a picture.  But I didn’t think of it. All I was thinking of was making the blood stains disappear from one of my favorite t-shirts!!!

 

After I paid for my brunch and two cartons of coconut clusters (one for Marianela as a surprise) I left Cafe Delicias and headed to Mundo Magico, where I got a rice cooker (actually, a combo veggie and stew-making machine that is also a rice cooker) and two lined notebooks, since the  notebooks were on sale for a ridiculously low price (less than I’d have paid for lined paper in plastic).

 

After that, I went to the pharmacy because by now my test results had been sent to me and I saw I had a UTI, so I went there to get antibiotics. But the fellow there told me I need a prescription from a doctor and let me know that the Sanchez Clinic (which is where I got the test) could write one for me.  I decided to wait to do that for another day. My UTIs don’t hurt, burn, or in any way inconvenience me — no fevers, etc. — so time isn’t of the essence.

 

After that, I headed toward the pet store Jon showed me that has Hill’s Science Diet, but I found myself on the wrong street scratching my head (figuratively) because it wasn’t where my brain told me it was “supposed to be.”

 

A neighbor from El Cajon spotted me and came over to greet me and wish me happy New Year. I asked him if he knew where I could get Science Diet cat food near where we were (figuring he’d point the way to the same place Jon had mentioned), and he escorted me to a pet store, but not the one Jon had shown me. That was fine this time because I only wanted a small bag to be sure she’ll eat it before I invest in a bigger one.

 

I thanked the neighbor for going out of his way for me a good block and a half, bought a small bag of adult cat food, and then headed to DIMI to get two new gel pens to tide me over until Lisa brings the ones I had delivered to Tacoma.

 

Next, I went to Mercado Municipal to get wet cat food, mushrooms, lettuce, and fish. I realized then that I was about ready to call it a day, so I texted Marianela letting her know I was going to be ready to get picked up in about 20 minutes. She texted back that she was on her way.

 

I went back to Cafe Delicias and waited there for her.  When I got back into her vehicle, she said she wanted to go get some coconut clusters, and I grinned and said, “No need! I got some for you!” (I know how much she loves those!) She grinned, said “Thank you!” and off we went!

 

I was home by 1 or 1:15.

 

This morning when Diane and I walked the dogs we ran across Homer, who looked kinda downcast. Which is unusual. I said, “Hola amigo!  Feliz nuevo ano!” and we embraced.

 

Then he and Diane started talking in Spanish and I recognized that Diane was saying, “Oh, no, Kris isn’t moving until the first of February.”  That brought a smile to Homer’s face. He thought I was moving TOMORROW!

 

And when we got back to Diane’s place, she told me, “I miss you already.”

 

Damn!  I KNOW THE FEELING! 

January is going to be a bittersweet month for me, for sure.  I wish I didn’t have to move, but it’s just too risky to stay here. The rocky road and super steep climb to the casita would do me in sooner or later. I simply cannot risk falling or ruining my ankles and/or knees. I MUST remain ambulatory so I can walk and maintain my stamina and good health. And people want to visit me who simply can’t right now because of the almost 90 degree incline that leads up to my place.

 

February 1st is a Sunday

 

Marianela will be moving me on February 1st and she asked me what day it was. I had to google it. It’s a Sunday. I asked her if that was going to be a problem for her and she said no.  I asked her what was a good time for her on Sundays to do something like this. She said anytime and then asked me what time she should be at my place.  I told her I will ask Deb (my new landlady) if she has a preference for our arrival time and that I’ll get back to her on that…

 

Raccoon or relative on my porch last night

 

In the middle of the night I heard Mikey snarling, yowling and making a crashing/battling ruckus beneath the setee on my porch. I looked out and saw him swatting at something and having a general fit, but didn’t see what it was. It finally bolted away down the steps.

 

This morning when I went out to feed him, I saw the critter’s muddy tracks on the patio. It looks like raccoon tracks, but I suppose it could be one of the raccoon’s cousins that live in Costa Rica: a coati or a ringtail. But raccoons do live here, too, so it could have been a raccoon.  Until I actually see it, I’m going with raccoon. The tracks looked an awful lot like Gabriel’s.

 

LAST DAY OF THE YEAR

 

If ONLY T-WRECKS would go out with it, it’d be the best New Year’s Day gift I can imagine. Can You arrange that, Universe?  Pretty please?!

 

A cat rescuer namd Larry Taylor says I don’t need to get Charli a rabies shot unless I plan to return to the U.S. with her. NO CHANCE OF THAT.  I’M NEVER GOING BACK.

 

And Katheryn got back to me saying we can make the changes to my N Plan in April. It doesn’t have to be done by midnight tonight.  All of the insurance markets are up in the air right now and won’t settle much before then, so we can wait to see what turns up then.

 

Good.

 

That’s all I have for this time. More than I thought, actually!