Tuesday, November 1st, 2016

Last night I took 3 sleeping pills to ensure I could get to sleep quickly since I needed to get up at 7am.  (It’s actually 1 3mg sleeping pill scored so it can be easily broken into 3 1mg pieces.)  I fell asleep quickly but was awakened at 1:30am by Teresa’s snoring.  I moved a little and so did she and she soon stopped and I quickly fell back asleep.  I awoke once more about 6:30am from the usual street traffic.  I got up at 7am, took my shower, ate a bowl of cereal and Laura walked with me to the bank. 

I made a withdrawal from Citibank and next door at the special machine in Bancolombia Laura watched while I paid the apt rent and my health insurance for the month.  (You have to have your money ready to put inside when it opens or you have to start over.)

I stopped at the paper store Papeleria Latino Americana at Calle 38 Sur #43-28 where I had them print in color the game notes that my Philippino friend Ruben sent me about my 2^nd game last week with Dario.  It cost me 5,500 pesos so maybe next time I’ll print them in black & white.  They refused to take my 20mil bill because a corner of it was cut off.  I think they recommended I exchange it at the bank.

My last stop was at Exito where I bought a package of prepackaged hamburgers, buns, and 2 packages of arepas.

I was back at the apt by 8:40am.

We left the apt at 3:15 for my 4pm appointment with the Opthamologist.  Actually MT and I have piggyback appointments.  I tried to withdraw a little more cash at the building’s Bancolombia ATM but it didn’t work.  I walked across the street and had the same experience with a Servibanca ATM.  Teresa’s mom said she had enough cash that she would also be able to pay my fee of 170mil.  We had to wait until almost 4:30 to get in to see the doctor.  She dilated our pupils and we had to wait another 30 minutes.  As expected she said I need to have the laser surgery in my left eye now.  (At least she said I don't have to worry about the problem repeating itself.)  It will cost me 180,200 pesos (about $62) for the use of the clinic and its equipment and 250,000 pesos (about $86) to the doctor.  I scheduled my surgery for next Wednesday at 11am in Clinica de Oftalmologia Sandiego with a followup the following Wednesday at 2:45pm.  (With insurance it would probably cost more than that back in the States.)  MT has cataracts and I understand she scheduled her surgery for the end of January and it will cost her a little more than 4,000,000 pesos (about $1380).  Wow!

Afterwards we stopped downstairs at Il Capuccino where we each had an apple muffin and coffee for a total of 19,500 pesos (about $6.75).  Teresa gave the cashier my damaged 20mil bill and they took it.

Back at the apt I saw the Chicago Cubs dismantle the Cleveland Indians 9-3.  Game 7, the last of the year, is tomorrow night.

T-shirt of the day: Damn seagulls.  (This was on a black t-shirt with white splotches.)