On insurance: We have private health insurance that would cover hospitalization and anything catastrophic. We've been paying out of pocket for ordinary doctors' visits, meds, bloodwork, and even seeing specialists and it's been very inexpensive compared to the charges we are accustomed to paying in the U.S. Since we passed the 90 day mark we are now eligible to apply for the national health insurance program and Clay is submitting those applications and a lot of associated paperwork today. It will likely take several months and we may not be accepted on the initial application, but we still have nine months on our private insurance contract anyway.
Parcel shipment and delivery: At least in the part of the city where we are located, the post is delivered by bicycle and only things that will fit through a mail slot will be delivered to our actual address. For larger items coming by mail, they leave a notice and you pick it up from the post office on another day. That's not so bad. More difficult is buying anything online. Everyone uses a different delivery system but in most cases you still have to pick up your package at a drop point. And of course every shipping system has a different drop point. I recently order a pair of winter hiking boots from Amazon France that came from Italy via UPS. They didn't even make an attempt to deliver it to our address, they just posted something online saying it was delivered to a drop point about 4 km away. No problem, Clay and I made the journey out there by tram and then walking one day last week. The drop point was a gas station, but it wasn't there. It finally showed up at the drop point several days later.
Bailey: She's still not a fan of city traffic, but we don't have much of it to deal with before we get to the park, which she loves. Today we took a subway to the end of the line and then an Uber to visit a boarding facility. It was very nice and we've booked a short stay for her starting Saturday evening. She will have a private cabin with outdoor space surrounded by a high fence, which gave me a great feeling of security. The owner/operator is a woman and is obviously a dog person.
French class: My A1 level class ended with October and I'm relieved. I wasn't fond of the daily schedule. I'm going to pursue some other learning methods on my own (with Clay's help). The end of the class also makes it possible for us to begin traveling, which was a major retirement goal.
Travel: With class over and boarding secured, we are making our first out of town trip this Sunday, just for a few days. Not sure yet where we're headed; Clay is researching options. If the boarding works out for Bailey we'll be doing much more travel in the coming months.
Health goals: I've been walking at least 10 miles per day on average since we arrived here in August. My A1c was recently tested at 6.0, which is in pre-diabetic range and down from my prior test. I haven't lost all the weight I put back on after stopping Ozempic, but it's coming down slowly and hopefully will be sustainable. I'm still undergoing therapy for my right shoulder after rotator cuff surgery, and recently suffered a setback, but I think things are moving in the right direction again now. All things considered, I'm feeling pretty good about it all.
Congrats to Virginia, New York, and California on yesterday's election results.
Pelicans in the zoo, viewed from outside.
From a cemetery tour we took last weekend.
Great blue heron from one of the canals surrounding the Citadel.
Bailey's new home away from home.
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1 comment:
I worked at the election yesterday. Great turnout, very positive attitude.
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