Twelve years ago today…A precious new little life in the bush…

Norman and Nina’s daughter Natalie, the striped nyala behind this duiker, from December 12, 2022, who, at that point, had yet to be named based on gender, which we can’t yet determine. Natalie had her first foal a few days ago.

Please click the link below for a video of Natalie’s first foal, taken at Louise and Danie’s home, only a short distance from the Ratel house, where we’ll live for three months in the bush.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ij7JDeU85Pw

Above is the link to Nina and her baby, born only hours before this video was taken by our dear friend Louise a few days ago. It will be a long time until we can determine the gender of this little one, but once we know, we will give them a name, preferably one that starts with an “N.”

This photo is of Norman, Nina, and Natalie with the bushbuck we named “The Babysitter,” who always wandered the bush with Nina and Natalie.

We can’t wait to get to Marloth Park in three months, especially since our holiday home is only a few bush houses away from Louise and Danie’s home.

On another note, our first post was written and published on March 15, 2012, 12 years ago today. We didn’t begin traveling until October 31, 2012, but we started preparing posts with very few photos as we prepared to leave our old life behind. If you haven’t read that post, please click here.

Today’s post is #4218. It’s hard to grasp the concept of us posting 4218 stories, most containing photos. Initially, we thought more about writing than photos. Still, 12 years later, we certainly appreciate the importance of photos and look forward to the time when we’ll have new photos to share each day, rather than the repeated photos we’ve been sharing lately.

When we discussed the 12 years of posting, it’s hard to believe we began so many years ago. That first post and the day we published it is as clear in our minds as if it was only days ago. We’re both smiling over this milestone anniversary.

We want to thank every one of our worldwide readers for following along with us for so long and for our newer readers who found us online over the years. Your loyalty, friendship, email, and comments are always appreciated. We’ve never felt alone in our travels with all of you beside us.

Our passion for continuing to post hasn’t diminished over the years. But I must admit, having new experiences with photos makes it all the easier to write stories daily. No doubt, it’s been a bit tedious these past several months since we arrived at the less-than-desirable house in Ecuador, where we were so far from everything we seldom took photos.

Here in Lake Las Vegas, which we’ve thoroughly enjoyed, the lack of photo ops has hindered our objective of presenting varied and exciting posts. Soon enough, we’ll be back in Africa. How long we stay there beyond the three months we’ve booked will be determined by the results of my upcoming heart scan on March 27. If the results are good, we can begin planning more adventures. If not, we’ll go from there with a new plan.

Tonight, we’ll be out for dinner and a movie with Richard and his girlfriend, and we hope to take some photos in the process.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 15, 2014:

While at PepeNero restaurant for lunch, it was bright and comfortably warm from the sun in the courtyard as we were seated near one of the flowery fountains. For more photos, please click here.

Difficulty sleeping…What’s a solution?…Early riser?

Lots of cheap shoes are offered for sale in the souks in Morocco.

Most nights, when I head to bed, I hope to get a good night’s sleep. However, I have discovered that not worrying about sleeping when I am awake for two or three hours helps make the awake time more tolerable. Overall, I get enough hours of sleep, but only if I try to go back to sleep until 9:00 am or even later.

That schedule makes my days too short when I have so much to accomplish, especially now that I spend so much time exercising. I’d like more free time during the day to read, research, and perhaps even relax when I’m done with everything else.

This morning, I decided on a new plan: getting up early, thus allowing myself to be more tired when I go to bed. That new time may be 6:00 or 6:30 am like I have for most of my life. It’s only been in the past month or two that I’ve had a hard time falling asleep, and now I believe it’s because I get up too late when I’ve finally fallen back to sleep at 3:00 or 4:00 am.

So today, my new plan begins, and regardless of how I am tomorrow morning, I will get up early. Hopefully, this new schedule will work for me within a week or two. No doubt I’ll be exhausted in the interim, but it’s the only way that comes to mind as a possible solution.

This morning, I forced myself to get up at 9:00 instead of 10:00 am and started my day knowing I had to wash and dry the bedding and other laundry. Tomorrow, I’ll shoot for an 8:00 am wakeup and so forth.

We’re going out for dinner and a movie with Richard and his girlfriend tomorrow night. I hope I don’t fall asleep during the movie after dinner. If a movie isn’t entirely entertaining, I can easily nod off for short periods. Hopefully, it’s entertaining enough to keep me awake.

Also, this new schedule will help prepare me for the cardiology ultrasound at 8:15 am on March 27. I’ll have to arrange for the Uber to pick me up at 7:30 am since the location is about 30 minutes from here. By then, the new schedule should make it easy to get up, get ready, and head out the door so early.

Months ago, when we frequently had to catch an early morning flight or go on a tour, getting to the airport or venue early in the morning was a lot easier than it would be to get up early right now.

Do you have any suggestions for better sleep you’d like to share? If so, please post in the “comments” section at the bottom of this page. We’d love to hear from you!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 14, 2014:

Locals commiserating in the Medina in Marrakesh, Morocco. For more photos, please click here.

Making changes…

We visited the camels on a tour from our riad in Marrakesh, Morocco 2014. The guide informed us of camel facts. It was fun to see this mom and baby.

It was another busy morning. During the first hour, I was busy chopping and dicing vegetables for tonight’s dinner, including our “unwiches” and the usual big salad I make daily. For our salad, I chop freshly washed romaine lettuce, place it in a towel, and then place it in the refrigerator to dry the lettuce before tossing it at dinnertime.

Our salads always contained lettuce, hand-shredded cabbage, celery, and grape tomatoes, all low-carb enough for my eating. Then I toss it with plain Greek yogurt, salt, and my liquid sweetener, which makes a delicious, easy-to-prepare daily salad filled with nutrients.

There have been a lot of posts online that vegetables produce toxins since they can’t run, like animals, if attacked by humans harvesting them or animals eating them. I know that lectins and nightshades in some vegetables can be harmful, so I don’t disagree with this theory. However, I am willing to take risks when certain nutrients appear to be good for my health.

If I didn’t eat vegetables, my diet would be entirely carnivore, which is too hard for me to do, although it claims to have certain health benefits. Also, I consume some dairy products, cheese, sour cream, and Green yogurt, and drink wine, none of which are considered a carnivore way of eating.

A few years ago, I tried carnivore, which didn’t agree with my digestive system. After a few months, I stopped to return to basic Keto/low-carb, which totally agrees with me. There is so much conflicting information online that one could get confused and frustrated. I’ve found that how I feel is the best measure of what works for me.

This morning, I arranged tickets for a movie and a reservation for dinner on Friday night to celebrate Richard’s birthday. The four of us will go for an early dinner, followed by the movie Argylle. I love going to a movie theatre. Tom, not so much, but he does love the popcorn and Coke. I can never eat anything at a movie theater. After 12 years of my diet, it doesn’t bother me a bit.

I never look at other’s food or snacks and feel I am sacrificing. It’s a choice I’ve made for my health, and I have no problem avoiding sugar and starch. I suppose it’s like anything else – when you choose to make a change, rather than being told you have to, it’s a lot easier, although some may differ in this assumption.

Change isn’t easy. Regularly, we find ways in which we need to make changes to accommodate our health or our lifestyle. Recently, I discovered that I sleep better if I go to bed and get up later in the morning. This is a significant change for me since I was always an early riser.

Tom usually takes a nap around 2:00 pm daily, but now he is questioning if doing so impacts his sleep quality at night. Many have reported they have similar problems from napping during the day. Occasionally, I may doze off during the day, but it’s a rarity. I keep myself busy during the day, exercising and doing household tasks, and may only sit half as much as most seniors. I know how unhealthy sitting for long periods is for retirees and others.

Soon, I will head to the ground-level outdoor mailbox to see if the doctor’s office sent my two prescriptions after my recent appointment. A few items I ordered may not have been from Amazon and ended up in the mailbox. So far today, I’ve done more than half of my daily steps and look forward to getting that done.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 13, 2014:

This photo was taken in Marrakesh, Morocco, from a third-floor restaurant rooftop where we dined in the past week. For more photos, please click here.

The long term commitment…

Tom’s dinner at a restaurant in Morocco in 2014. I can’t recall the meat, but there sure were a lot of chips (as fries are called in other countries).

If someone asked me if I could commit to writing an essay every day of the year, my answer would be, “No way.” The daily constraints of taking the time and attempting to be creative would be far beyond my level of consistency and dedication to such a repetitive event.

Well, here we are, in three days, on March 15, having done these posts daily, except for the first year, posting for the past 12 years. We began in 2012, before we started our travels, to share the experiences we had even before we embarked on our years-long journey.

We initially thought we might last a few years, maybe even five years, but we never anticipated we’d be in 2024 and still be homeless and traveling most of the time. The exception has been, lately, the necessary time we’ve been spending in the US to do paperwork and medical appointments.

Now, as that time in the US is creeping toward an end, with only about three months to wrap up this time, visiting family and these important other objectives.

When we recently discovered there would be a “Jubilee Celebration” for Tom’s sister, Sister Beth’s 70th year as a nun, we’d have been on our way to South Africa on June 15. Instead, we may leave a day or two later, not arriving in Marloth Park until June 18th.

This morning, Louise and I chatted back and forth on WhatsApp when I asked her if we could change our arrival and departure dates, assuming we’d get there by June 18th, give or take a day. Of course, Louise was happy to accommodate this change. So we can relax, not be concerned about our late arrival, and attend Sister Beth’s event.

But, soon enough, we’ll be moving on and, at that time, have more exciting posts to share with all of you. Many of our readers have written about how much they enjoy wildlife photos, and when we get there, we will be on a mission to share as many photos as possible, along with pictures of social events and local food.

As far as what we’ll do at the end of the 88 days in Marloth Park, at this point, we don’t have a clue. We’re waiting to find out the results of my cardiac ultrasound on March 27 to decide where we’ll go after we’re done in Africa. We’ll be very excited to make new plans if all goes well with the test.

Today, Tom will leave for an appointment at our bank to get several documents notarized and in the mail. He’ll take an Uber for the five-mile trip and should return a few hours later.

With the pizza gone, we’re making one of our favorite dinners, keto “unwiches,” which we haven’t had in a few months. We typically go through the litany of favorite meals, cycling through every two months, occasionally trying something new. I think most home cooks do the same, repeating the same favorite meals over and over again.

Have a fantastic Tuesday. See you tomorrow!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 12, 2014:

This photo was taken from a third-floor rooftop of a restaurant where we dined in the past week. For more photos, please click here.

Getting things done…

Water on the floor of the center courtyard in the riad in Marrakesh when it rained the previous night. For more, please see the post here.

With tasks we needed to complete that were on our minds, we wrapped up most of it this morning. All that’s left is for Tom to get 20 identical pages notarized at Richard’s office or our bank.

We checked the cost of having this done at the nearby UPS store, but it will cost upwards of $300. We’re hoping the bank will do it without cost, which it states it will do on its website. It will undoubtedly be worth the round-trip Uber ride for about $65.

Also, this morning, I sent all our tax statements and tax prep forms to our accountant here in Nevada. It will be a relief to have that out of the way.

As I always say, “You can run, but you can’t hide!” There’s always something that has to get done that requires lots of paperwork and, on occasion, outside help. This, we cannot avoid.

I continue to do the daily exercises from BetterMe which is going well. My muscles definitely are feeling it. As for the walking, I have been making a point of walking more in the house such as when I do laundry.

I take one item out of the washer at a time and walk it to the second bedroom where the drying rack is located. Doing so, I manage to get in an extra 1000 steps.

Soon. I will take the garbage to the trash area, a long walk down the corridor. Then I will walk the long route of the entire floor and back, another 1000 steps. A short time later, I will do several more corridor walks to ensure I get in another 5000 steps.

My goal is 7000 steps daily. Add in the yoga exercises and I am getting about 45 minutes of exercise each day which is plenty for now. It feels good to be able to do all of this without a fitness center. In the future I can do these exercises without concern as to the availability of local facilities.

Tonight, we will finish our recent big batch of homemade keto pizza. It’s been delicious! Tomorrow, we will start something new which I will make enough to last another three nights.

It may take longer to prepare the three night’s dinners all at once, but it’s so worth it when I only have to cook one night out of three and only make a fresh salad each day. By doing this twice a week and dining out once a week, we have the entire week covered.

That’s all for today, folks. Have a great Monday!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 11, 2014:

This similar costume is found on many men in the Big Square. He is referred to as a “water boy” from the period when the nomads came across the desert needing water. These costumes indicated that he was the provider of water. Now, with less of a need for providing water, he poses for photos for a small sum while still carrying the cups and supplies for the water to add to his authenticity. For more photos, please click here.

Daylight savings time begins tonight…Set your clocks and more for safety…

Daylight saving time in the world. Areas shown in the same color start and end DST within less than a week of each other.

Many parts of the world don’t observe Daylight Savings TIME (DST). Those that do include the following:

“As of 2024, DST is observed in most of Europe, most of North America, and parts of Africa and Asia around the Northern Hemisphere summer, and in parts of South America and Oceania around the Southern Hemisphere summer. It was also formerly observed in other areas.”

“As of January 2024, the following locations were scheduled to start and end DST at the following times:

Locations DST start DST end Shift
Second Sunday in March at 02:00 First Sunday in November at 02:00 1 hour
Second Sunday in March at 00:00 First Sunday in November at 01:00 1 hour
Last Sunday in March at 01:00 UTC Last Sunday in October at 01:00 UTC 1 hour
Last Sunday in March at 02:00 Last Sunday in October at 03:00 1 hour
Last Sunday in March at 00:00 Last Sunday in October at 00:00 1 hour
Friday before last Sunday in March at 02:00 Last Sunday in October at 02:00 1 hour
Second Saturday after Ramadan[b] at 02:00 Saturday before last Sunday in October at 02:00 1 hour
Last Friday in April at 00:00 Last Thursday in October at 24:00 1 hour
First Saturday in September at 24:00 UTC−04:00[c] First Saturday in April at 24:00 UTC−03:00[c] 1 hour
First Sunday in October at 00:00 Fourth Sunday in March at 00:00 1 hour
First Sunday in October at 02:00 First Sunday in April at 03:00 1 hour
First Sunday in October at 02:00 First Sunday in April at 02:00 30 minutes
Last Sunday in September at 02:00 UTC+12:00[d] First Sunday in April at 02:00 UTC+12:00[d] 1 hour

In the table above, the DST start and end times refer to the local time before each change occurs unless otherwise specified.r The shift is the amount of time added at the DST start time and subtracted at the DST end time. For example, in Canada and the United States, when DST starts, the local time changes from 02:00 to 03:00, and when DST ends, the local time changes from 02:00 to 01:00. As the time change depends on the time zone, it does not occur simultaneously in all parts of these countries. Conversely, in almost all parts of Europe that observe DST, the time change occurs simultaneously at 01:00 UTC, regardless of their time zone.

Morocco, including the portion of Western Sahara that it administers, also observes an annual time change but not related to seasonal daylight. The local time is decreased by one hour on the Sunday before Ramadan at 03:00 and increased by one hour on the Sunday after Ramadan at 02:00 (in 2024, the dates are 10 March and 14 April).”

For our fellow travelers, observing these changes wherever you may be in the world is crucial to ensure you don’t miss booked flights, trains, rental car pickups and returns, and any other time-sensitive plans you’ve booked for future travels, especially during the first 24 hours until you’ve become aware of these changes.

It’s important to check all digital equipment, even with GPS, to ensure the appropriate time change has been reset on your device. We’re often out of the US in other countries where DST is not observed; thus, the change has been irrelevant.

In the above chart, I noticed that Arizona, Hawaii, and US territories don’t participate in DST. Since we’ll be driving to Arizona in 23 days, we’ll have to change the time zone while on our way. When it’s not DST, Arizona and Nevada are in the same time zone, Pacific Time.

For everyone, including those not traveling now, please change the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Let the time change be a reminder to you to change batteries, along with changing the time on your non-digital GPS household clocks.

That’s it for today, dear readers. Have a fantastic weekend!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 9, 2014:

While in the Medina is Marrakesh Morocco…Smoke began to waft through the air as wood-fired grills were started for the evening’s foods. The smells were indescribable For more photos, please click here.

It was a lovely anniversary!…Pizza night!…An exciting addition to Marloth Park!!!…

Off-putting to some, I was intrigued by all the parts of the fresh fish used in cooking in Morocco from this post here. As mentioned in the ten-year-ago photo, I managed to sneak a few pictures before being caught by the photo police.

It’s been a busy morning. I did half of my walking and prepped the pizzas for tonight, consisting of one sizeable three-night pan for Tom and two small pizzas for me, made with less cheese and chicken instead of sausages that will also be enough to last three dinners. Also, I made a salad, as always.

Tom’s pizza is made with a cheese and egg crust, baked atop parchment paper in the oven before adding the toppings, which include Italian sauce and sausage, onion, mushrooms, sliced green olives and mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

My pizza is made with coconut flour, baking powder, and egg-white crust, cooked in a non-stick skillet to resemble a giant pancake that I top with sauce, sliced baby bell peppers, onions, olives, mushrooms, and a lesser amount of mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Mine is about 60% less fattening than Tom’s and easily fills me up with a few slices and a large salad.

Then, I made two cooked eggs topped with Wholly guacamole, Pace Hot Picante sauce, and a dollop of plain Fage Greek yogurt for breakfast. Lately, I have been having this same breakfast each day. It’s a great way to start the day. All of the above is all I will eat today. If I’m hungry after dinner, I will have a bowl of keto-sweetened plain Fage yogurt topped with ground flax seeds.

Keto meals can be as enjoyable as any meal one may prepare using starch and sugars, keeping one’s blood sugar in check and preventing weight gain. I can’t believe I’ve been eating this way for over 12 years, and love every meal I make. On the other hand, Tom craves sweets (donuts) and desserts (popcorn or ice cream). He doesn’t eat breakfast other than two plain cake donuts with coffee and then doesn’t eat anything else all day until dinner.

Yesterday, our 29th wedding anniversary was a quiet day. We stayed in, had a great dinner and streamed a new show on Netflix, “The Gentlemen,” which was very entertaining. There are two seasons to keep us busy over many evenings when we wind down from our busy days and relax on the sofa until bedtime.

Since I quit drinking coffee about a month ago, I’ve mostly been drinking water at room temperature. Never much of a fan of plain water, I’ve found I feel my best without any other beverages other than my one glass of red wine at happy hour that I finish during dinner, followed by water throughout the evening.

Oddly, I haven’t been able to find any decent low-alcohol wine while in the US. When we return to Marloth Park in three months, I will enjoy the many options of delicious low-alcohol wines readily available at the grocery store.

Speaking of grocery stores, we can’t wait to see the Spar Market opening very soon in Marloth Park, only a three-minute drive from our holiday home. I can’t imagine it will be large enough to have everything we use, but we could drive to the further away Spar in Komatipoort (25-minute drive) once a month to stock up and supplement weekly at the MP version.

May be an image of 3 people and text
Yesterday, this photo of a Spar delivery truck was on a Marloth Park Facebook page. It was exciting to see that this is happening!

This is very exciting for all of the residents in Marloth Park, more so than short-term holiday renters who don’t cook as often, mostly buying meat, potatoes, bread, fruit, and snacks. But for us long-term visitors and the locals, this will be a considerable time and petrol saver.

We’ll head to the new market within hours of our arrival, buying enough for a day or two since we’ll be too tired to shop for enough for a week. Then, after resting, we’ll return and have a better perspective of what’s available. We’re both looking forward to this convenience.

That’s it for today, folks. I have to return to my walking and exercises in the app BetterMe. This is going so well; I couldn’t be more pleased.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 8, 2014:

I managed to sneak a few pictures in the market to avoid being accosted by the photo police in Marrakesh, Morocco. These are steaks with all of the fat removed. In South Africa, fat is a delicacy left on the meat. That is not the case in Morocco, where all beef appeared lean and free of visible fat. For more photos, please click here.

Today is our 29th wedding anniversary…Ten years ago today…

We dined at Le Jardin, a lovely restaurant with good reviews yesterday. The food and ambiance were excellent in this “riad,” a building with an open-air, center courtyard, as is the design of our current home. Tonight, for our anniversary dinner, Madame Zahra will prepare and serve yet another fabulous meal, which we’ll savor by candlelight. Here’s the link for the post. See the link for more photos.

We’ve posted about our anniversaries over the years, both our wedding anniversary, March 7, 1995, and the anniversary of our meeting date, June 28, 2011. Both have special meanings for us, as is the case for many couples. We don’t make a lot of commotion for either occasion, and the most we ever do is go out for lunch or dinner.

Over the years of world travel, we’ve rarely eaten lunch, instead preferring breakfast and dinner; after the first few years, we went out at night. This year, we discussed going out to dinner tonight, but this morning, after Tom said I could choose what I’d like to do, I awoke feeling like I’d prefer to stay in this evening. We may not dine out this weekend either when I plan to make low-carb pizza tomorrow, which should be enough to get us through the weekend.

When there are no giraffes, kudus, or warthogs to watch, birds can be fun to watch.

We can dine out any night around here and will do so sometime next week. As it turns out, only a few restaurants are within a reasonable walking distance, which is suitable for me. I can now walk two to three miles daily but can’t do it all at once.

I decided to share photos from our wedding anniversary ten years ago for today’s post when we went to lunch in Marrakesh Morocco. That restaurant wasn’t open in the evenings, like some restaurants in The Big Square. More often, while we were there, instead of dining out at night, we chose to go out during the day when, at night, there were tourists walking down the narrow alleys in the dark.

No more than two minutes after we were seated, we noticed this turtle on the floor, on a mission. In search of crumbs, he moved rapidly.

Pickpocketing was rampant, along with other crimes, and it was always safer to go out during the day. We went out several evenings but only to restaurants that overlooked the Big Square with easy access from the Medina in a well-lighted area. Fortunately, we never ran into any problems.

It was an interesting time for us. We lived in the riad for 2½ months. I loved the culture and the scenery, although Tom wasn’t as enthused as I was. He didn’t care about the restaurant’s food choices, although he liked Madame Zahra’s meals for the nights we dined in. Tom loves pork, but none was available, and there was a shortage of beef options. I could always figure out food suitable for my way of eating.

Later, during our meal, these two turtles were hanging out together.

When it rained, it rained into the open center courtyard in the riad. All the rooms in the house were overlooking the courtyard. Each time it rained, we had to run around and move the decorative items in the center courtyard. In the mornings, both of us loved the sound of birds’ wings flapping in the courtyard.

Often, we went up to the third-floor terrace to see and listen to the “call to prayer” several times a day. The smells emanating from the open food market in the evenings were enticing, but we were warned to be careful eating any local foods cooked at night in the Big Square.

Fresh produce from the farm, used in the menu items, were freely on display in the restaurant.

I got sick from dining in a restaurant the first few days we were there and ended up, three weeks later, having to rely upon my supply of Cipro, a potent and dangerous antibiotic. Within hours, I began to feel better, and within days, I was back to feeling well again.

Since we had no room in our luggage, we didn’t purchase items in the souks. There were many “knock-offs,” and most wares were centered around cooking and various bags: handbags, luggage, wallets, briefcases, etc. We had no use for any of those items. Instead, we frequently walked through the souks to see the many wares offered. However, the vendors seldom allowed us to take photos of their offerings.

This was Tom’s lunch, Moroccan seasoned penne and meat sauce. He liked this dish and asked for half as many spices as usual. There was no comment from me on him eating pasta.

We took a taxi to a market a few times to buy some nuts and cheese for those evenings when we had dined out for lunch and needed a little something in the evening. We were amazed by the beautiful displays in the grocery store and took a few photos. Moments later, a man in a black suit approached me, demanding I delete the pictures from my camera. While I deleted the photos, I showed him they were gone and never attempted to take pictures in a market again.

Enjoy today’s photos from our anniversary on March 7, 2014, while in Marrakesh. The memories are as fresh in our minds as if it were yesterday.

Happy anniversary, my love! I am grateful for every year we’ve spent together!

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 7, 2014:

While out to lunch on our anniversary ten years ago, we sat next to a birdcage with two parakeets; Tom got a kick out of their playful antics. For more, please click here.

No news yet…

The Medina, The Big Square in Marrakesh, Morocco, at night. Quite a sight to see!

As it turned out, the cost for the Uber round-trip from our condo in Lake Las Vegas to the cardiology clinic in the center of Henderson, a 25-minute trip, was less than I’d anticipated. The total was $62, including the tips. One day for a rental car would have been more than that.

For the first time, I rode in a Tesla. I observed many different features in the car, including a weird difficulty opening the door to enter the vehicle. Maybe it was me, but that type of door handle was confusing and unnecessary. Certain things, the old way, were just fine and efficient.

I arrived 45 minutes before the scheduled appointment. I filled out many pages of forms, including health information and HIPAA (privacy forms), which I’ve never filled out in other countries. Of course, with my awful handwriting, I struggled to write in the blanks, doing my best. I figured they’d tell me if they couldn’t decipher my writing.

When done, with 30 minutes before my appointment, I played with my phone for a few minutes until they called my name. The nurse weighed me and took me into a room to check my blood pressure, which is always high, at the doctor’s office (“White Coat Syndrome”) and performed an ECG.

Shortly after, the doctor entered the room. Dr. Adeel was very thorough and oddly interested in our world travels when I explained why I had my last cardiology appointment in Ecuador and last April in South Africa.

I brought the test results from the last ultrasound from South Africa, performed 11 months ago in South Africa, for him to see. After reviewing it, he couldn’t assess until I had a new ultrasound, which is now scheduled for March 27, a full three weeks from now—more waiting time.

The receptionist had difficulty finding an appointment for me when the doctor would be available. They have several locations, and next time, I will go to a different location, a little further away. I didn’t want to have the ultrasound and then have to schedule another appointment with the doctor on another day. That made no sense.

That’s why I ended up with the March 27th appointment. I wasn’t thrilled with the 8:15 am appointment time since I tend to sleep late and get up late, but I’ll manage to accomplish it. After all, once on the move again, plenty of early morning flights and travel days require us to start early in the day.

I was back at the condo by 2:30. Around 3:30, I received a phone message stating that my Aflac Plan G policy was no longer in effect. I missed the call when it came in, and when I heard the message, I freaked out. I just had a $1000 medical appointment and another $3000 appointment on March 27.

Immediately, I returned the call, but their offices were already closed since they are on the East Coast. I called my agent, but she couldn’t reach anyone that late in the day either. Thus, I spent the evening and the night, wondering if I was insured and what had happened to my policy.

As soon as I was up and ready for the day, I received another call, which ended in a conference call with the agency and Aflac, only to discover nothing was wrong. I am fully insure. Apparently, there was “human error.” I thought I’d have trouble sleeping with this on my mind. Much to my surprise, I slept through the night, awakening at 8:00, bolting out of bed to hurry and get the call made to hopefully ease my mind. What a relief to discover all was fine.

Today, as always, I’ll do my exercises. I’ve already wrapped up everything needed for tonight’s dinner. Soon, Tom and I will work on the rental car for the end of this month so we can begin packing and loading the vehicle for our drive to Arizona, where we’ll drop off the car and take an Uber to the resort, where we’ll stay for about six weeks.

Tomorrow is our 29th wedding anniversary, and we plan to go out to dinner after all instead of over the weekend.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today,  March 6, 2014:

This was the view as we dined in an outdoor café on Tuesday in the Medina in Marrakesh, Morocco. For more photos, please click here.

Busy day…Soon, on my way to the cardiologist…

There are countless varieties of cactus in Morocco, such as this.

It’s already 11:00 am, and I have to leave here by Uber in less than 90 minutes. It doesn’t leave me much time to focus on today’s post. Please bear with me as I’m rushing through it since I’d like to get my exercising done before I leave since I don’t expect to return until about 4:00 pm from my 1:45 pm appoi’tment.

I was advised to arrive at 1:15 to complete a pile of paperwork. I hope it’s online rather than paper copies since my handwriting is illegible. Subsequently, I’ll have to arrange my Uber by 12:15 since its about a 25 minute drive to the clinic. I’d requested an appointment at their nearby clinic, but the only appointment available was at a further distance near the center of Henderson. Most likely, I’ll get there about 15 minutes early but that’s ok. I can always play with my phone while waiting.

This morning I prepped everything for tonight’s dinner except the bacon for Tom’s bunless cheeseburger (plus rice and salad) which we can cook while the burgers are cooking. Again tonight, I’m having a ground chicken burger, delicious topped with homemade sugar-free ketchup, onion and tomato with salad on the side.

Last night, I awoke several times but overall I managed to get in eight hours, much to my surprise. I feel good, so it’s weird to go to a doctor, but it’s a must-do now. Once there, I will book my next appointment which will consist of a variety of tests including the most important cardiac ultrasound to determine the status of my heart valves.

It’s hard to believe we’ll be leaving here in 27 days. Our rental in Apache Junction begins on April 1, and we’ll leave here the same day. Our rental agreement ended on March 31, but the kindly owner Zoltan said we could leave on the morning of the first, which works prefectly for us.

Zoltan has been a fantastic landlord/owner. Here is the link to this wonderful property. Without a doubt, we’ll make a point of staying in his condo next time we come to Nevada. As our regular readers know, we have loved it here, especially when we haven’t needed a car with either easy delivery for anything we may need plus a plethora of shops and restaurants down one flight of stairs from our floor.

Sure, today and next week, I’ll have to pay for Ubers for both cardiology appointments, which for two days of round trips could total $200. But at a rate of about $40 a day for a rental car, it is a small price to pay. If we’d had a car, most likely, it would have been sitting in the parking garage most days. In total, during all of our time here, we’ll have spent no more than $800 for Uber when three months of a rental car would have been over $3600. It was a no-brainer.

Today, in the next few days, we’ll book a rental car for March 30 to April 2 for our drive to Apache Junction and decide once there what we’ll do about a car during the five or six weeks we’ll be there when Tom’s sisters have offered the use of their cars that they seldom use. We may do just that, insisting they take some cash from us, which surely they’ll resist doing.

The washer just finished. I need to hang the towels on the rack and then get started on my exercises.

Thanks to many of our readers who’ve sent messages wishing me good luck at the appointments. It’s so appreciated knowing you are thinking of me.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, March 5, 2014:

Tom and Hamoudi, the spice shop owner in the souk, Jemma al Fna, in Marrakesh. For more photos, please click here.