floundersgreatadventure

Jeff and Ruby went to the doctor both had consultations with the doctor, who turned out to be male not female as I earlier reported, they are scheduled for blood work next week. The appointments, blood work, cardiogram, and six prescriptions total cost 8200 Pesos or $4.46 American their insurance cost $49.18 a month and people want to know why they live down here. You wonder why this can’t happen in the US, not my job to figure out. But from what I know America has the highest medical costs in the world, I might be wrong but I’m pretty sure I’m not. Tomorrow is Saturday and I have no idea what on the agenda you will just have to wait just like the rest of us Ciao.

Here we are the end of another work week nothing much going on just thought I’d say hello. Love my new scratching post I can sit on top of it and watch Ruby baby sit although watching her change Hari’s diaper after he poops is worse than watching a saw movie. Jeff and Ruby both have to go to the doctor later today Jeff needs prescriptions renewed and I think Ruby is just routine. Now we’ll find out how the insurance works down here. Jeff’s Kindle should be back in the country I hope he gets it soon TV is all repeats right now and he won’t sit long enough for me to get comfortable and how many times can you reread a Rolling Stone magazine? If Jeff and Ruby get back early enough (they don’t go out to eat) I’ll be back later Ciao.

John and Vanessa both went back to work today which means Ruby get’s up early to baby sit which in turns means Jeff and I get up early. When we are woken up earlier than we like and it’s not to go fishing you really don’t want to deal with us until maybe noon. Hari was over here today and he and I had a wonderful conversation he really is a cool person for a kid. I’m having Jeff put up some more photos from Pueblito Paisa, these are from sunset on. We don’t have any plans for the weekend yet, everybody waits until the last moment down here and that a drives Jeff absolutely bonkers, that’s so cool. Ruby just called Jeff to the kitchen seem the hose on the dish washer started leaking. Jeff checked it out and they have to get a new hose or have the old re-crimped. Well I better go and get some sleep tomorrow is a babysitting day and everybody has to be up early and sharp Hari can be a challenge at times we’ll let you now Ciao.

I’m back and I’m extremely happy Jeff and Ruby finally got me my scratching post and it’s so cool I can’t be leave it. They got it yesterday with a little heap from John (and you know how much I hate to give credit), I guess the great weather helped Ruby was in a great mood after taking a walk to Exito. Last night they went to watch Hader and John play soccer John got the better team so he won but Hader tried his team’s defense just wasn’t good enough to win. Speaking of Hader his work contract expired the end of the year and he’s been out of work sense and he might have to wait too February before he goes back to work. His job seems to be influenced by local politics, and he’s not political as far as I can tell. As you can see from the photos Hari and I are really getting along great he’s a lot of fun and he’s a great conversationalist. I’ll have to ask his political views the next time he comes over. I’ve sat on this boney lap long enough time to eat and rip up my scratching post Ciao.

Sorry I didn’t get a chance to post yesterday we’re very busy, I have a lot to tell you about so we’ll start with Monday and then post again later today. Monday was a holiday down here celebrating three kings day. I think the actual day was Saturday or Sunday and they made Monday the holiday, it’s also known as pot day, no not that kind of pot, the big metal ones. Everybody tries to go to the country or at least outside to cook Sancocho and for a lot of people it’s the last day of vacation Jeff and Ruby went to Liliana house to cook and party, she lives a great area very near everything (the Metro, Exito and several little stores that sell just about anything you need) It had lovely gardens and the apartment was beautiful inside. It was a gated community and judging by the amount of people around everybody went to the country or celebrated on Sunday, as Jeff and the gang were the only ones making noise. Rosalita Jeff’s favorite aunt was there to make sure everyone had a good time. When you cook a big pot of Sancocho outside over a wood fire it takes a long time almost three hours or two cases of beer.  A great time was had by all as you can see by the pictures; Jeff used his small camera so you’ll part of his finger in a few shots. Hari is here to visit so I’ll continue the story later Ciao.

Last night or should I say late afternoon Jeff and Ruby went to Pueblito Paisa which is a sort of an example of the past as well as a tourist trap. If you just visit and don’t buy anything there are a lot of examples of what the area looked like many years ago, there’s a museum that has pictures of the past, the present and projections for the future. Those of you with Facebook can see over a hundred photos obviously I can only put up a few at a time on the blog. You can see from some of the pictures how the city of Medellin runs right up the mountains. That’s what makes this area so beautiful you can also see the contrast of the modern and the old another thing that make s this country truly beautiful. When you get to the pictures of the mime remember these guys do this twelve to thirteen hours a day and are truly amazing. Another thing Jeff has noticed about this country is when you go to one of these country food stands the food tastes better then when you buy it in the supermarket and take it home to cook. Like take cheese for instance Jeff had this cheese in a country roadside restaurant a while ago and when Ruby brought the same cheese home from the market it wasn’t even close the same goes for just about all food. It will taste different from restaurant to restaurant because they make it themselves. It must be what America was like way back I the old days before everybody got lazy and they invented TV dinners and the Micro Wave oven. The young people back there don’t remember that so they don’t miss it. The food down here is the one that will be the hardest thing to modernize in the near future. Well it’s time for the Giant game and they say it will be televised down here, of course the commentary will be in Spanish but at least Jeff and I will get to see the game so we’ll see you later don’t forget to check out the photos Ciao.

Here’s Saturday and we’re off to a bad start as Jeff has problems with Netflix he tried to get the one month free offer but apparently because he was once a member in the US they told him he was ineligible so he immediately canceled his application, but they still charged him one month for 30 seconds of membership. Needless to say he’s pissed he tried contacting them by e-mail that didn’t work so he went on Facebook and posted what had happened and he’s going to call his bank on Monday and see if he can stop the payment. In other news they still can’t find the wood to build my scratching post and sense I don’t have the Christmas tree to hide behind any more I can’t go around scratching the furniture anymore. So now there are two of us pissed off in the house. While they were out looking for the wood this morning Ruby decide she wanted to find these cookies she loves, they sort of taste like the Kit Kat bar she used to love in the US. Well she forgot the name and Hader wasn’t answering his cell phone to tell her the name so know everybody’s pissed about something at least its quiet know but I’m going to have to walk around on egg shells today. Maybe everybody will just take a nap and everything will be better later, I know I am right know it’s probably the safest thing I can do, until latter Ciao.

Well I told you yesterday that the Christmas decorations came down, today Ruby rearranged the apartment it looks really good. She even created a play space for Jeff and the boys (yes Hari is included), I guess she got tired of them messing up the living room. John responded to my remarks about diaper changing saying he knows how and I responded by saying I never said he didn’t know how just that he avoided it at all costs. I should be nice to him he did come over and tune Jeff’s guitar now when he plays people won’t think it’s me crying. Ruby went to meet Elda to exchange a blouse Ruby got for Christmas so it’s nice and quiet now. Last night they went out to eat at a Italian restaurant in the mall by the Exito. It wasn’t authentic Italian but was very good and reasonably priced I think the name was El Forno but I’m not sure. They walked around the mall and noticed a lot of new stores getting ready to open as well as a couple of new restaurants they want to check out. It looks as if all the people have taken down there outside Christmas decorations no and the town looks really different at night now. There was another comment made by John about the photo at the top of the post ,something about a strange creature holding me, well that creature as fed and taken care of me for 11 years so BACK OFF BUDDY. Time for  me to take a cat nap while it’s still nice and quite now see you later CIAO.

All the Christmas decorations came down today now I have no place to hide, guess I better not scratch the furniture any more. Jeff and Ruby were supposed to go out to view more Christmas lights in Medellin tonight, but just before they were supposed to go it stated to thunder and then the skies opened and the rain came, maybe tomorrow. Let’s what else, oh my buddy Hari is sick again just a bad cold this time. Speaking of Hari I’ve discovered John doesn’t want to have anything to do with changing Hari’s diaper after he poops, can’t say I really blame him I didn’t know vegetables could smell that bad. John has already begun to pester jiff to set up the slot car track, Jeff will probably hold out as long as he can just to bust John. OhOh Ruby’s looking for I have no idea what I did this time so it’s under the bed for me Ciao.

Facebook followers already know that Hari finally got his piano so he can play along with his father; all this child needs to do is see you do something once or twice and he knows how to do it himself. Jeff got a guitar for Christmas so he’s decided if he can learn to play in a couple of years he and Hari are going to start a rock and roll band. You people in the US probably think because we live in Colombia we have the best selection and tasting coffee in the world: News flash all the best coffee is sold to buyers and shipped out of the country. What’s left is good but there’s better in your supermarkets, big surprise huh just goes to show money talks. People down here drink a lot of instant coffee and in very small mounts all the coffee places make their coffee in espresso machines and serve it in small cups, the rest of the people who drink coffee at home drink instant mainly because coffee is as expensive here as it is there. One thing about the coffee down here when you go to the café it’s always tastes fresh because it hasn’t been sitting in a thermos for an hour. Ok I’m done for the day it’s been slow today I’ve spent most of it hiding from Ruby, I told you I was going to scratch the furniture, she was not amused. I’ll see around tomorrow providing she doesn’t catch me Ciao