Desaparecida - I've disappeared

I've disappeared from the blogging scene for a while.  A few things have happened to keep me away from my computer.  Sergio and his daughter Angeles arrived from Mexico City on Friday, October 30, just in time for me to take off on an airplane for Iowa.  I had to make a quick trip to my hometown to help my mom and dad drive to Texas. The parents bought a home in Edinburg which is exactly 25 miles from my apartment in Reynosa. I am lucky to have family living near me.  And now I've got Sergio and Angeles.  Well, at least Angeles.  She is attending school here in Reynosa.  Sergio left for Mexico City last Sunday and should be returning tomorrow.  That means mañana. You all know what mañana means in Spanish.  Maybe he'll be back next week. I need Angeles's birth certificate and school papers to get her properly enrolled in school.    Do you think he will remember to bring the documents?  Stay tuned, folks.

We had another "balacera" last Saturday night. We were at a birthday party for the son of our friends and we could hear the machine guns going at it.  The gun battles are barely mentioned, if at all, in the news anymore. I've heard that the reporters are afraid of retaliation.  I'm not sure of the real reason, but, at any rate, it is weird to sit around with balloons, a piñata and birthday cake and then watch the mothers come running for their children yelling, "Balacera!"  The normal person would run and duck inside the hacienda, but, NO, not us.  We sat outside so we could hear the tat-tat-tat of the rapid fire machine guns. Sh*t for brains, yes we are.

Last night I had the grand experience of going to the hospital.  I was miserably ill with 103 degree fever. Normally I would have toughed it out but, sheesh, with all the influenza stuff going around I thought it best to get it checked out. I don't think all the mommies want me passing around influenza germs to their precious darlings. The staff was efficient and I didn't have to wait long at all.  Amazing! And I don't have the flu.  I'm still not sure what I have.  I'm not sure what medicine they put in the IV last night.  All I know is with my insurance card through the school, the hospital bill was a grand total of $437 pesos.  For all the friends and family who have no idea how much that is, divide by 13 for American dollars.  And for my math deficient sister who is a nurse, it is easier to divide by 10 and take an extra 1/3 off that.  Or just use your calculator that you take with you wherever you go.