Vet Visit, Work Permit?, City Trip, Power Problems
I saw a Facebook post Wednesday morning that Dr. Baptist was at SAGA on Wednesday and Thursday for consultations and surgeries. I wasn't sure if the regular staff could do x-rays on Selene's mouth or not, so I went down to ask as I didn't want to take up one of Dr. Baptist's slots unless necessary. (Selene has been losing weight and favoring one side of her mouth when she chews). They told me to bring her back later that day.
She has never traveled well, choosing to yowl the entire time, so I gave her some gabapentin from our move to chill her out. At the time of her appointment, the waiting room was full of clients, so I went to the desk to check-in. Apparently, I didn't need to do this - I am still getting used to the fact that Belizeans remember people! I stood around like a doofus, never checking in, and was brought into a room with Selene only about 15 minutes after our appointment time. The receptionist asked what she eats, age, etc., then took her to a back exam room and sent me to the lobby. A few minutes later, Ms. Ingrid came to bring me into the room I had just left - she was there with Selene and Dr. Baptist. I gave them the run-down on her, and they saw no immediate issues (via a visual check, I presume) but did suggest I get a dental on her as she has some plaque buildup. The cost? $135BZ. Our previous vet in AZ wanted $1,800 for this! I showed Dr. Baptist her bloodwork from August before we moved and they both thought she was much younger than almost 13, so I'll take that. I'm on the fence about having a dental done, as she is older, and older cats are more likely to pass under sedation than younger ones...we know we don't have too much time with her, so I have to weigh out the risks vs. benefits. Sucks.
The cost for seeing a DVM? $25BZ, so I left a donation for the kitties on top of that.
Selene, my clingy girl
I also looked into getting a work permit - we are considering purchasing, or maybe starting a business, so I wanted to investigate the process, timeline, etc. I thought the pin on the map dropped in the same office as the cashier for visas, but that's not where the office is. The security guy told me to go on the side of the taco stand at the end of Wings Plaza and go up the stairs. I saw no such entry, did a few passes, then broke down and asked someone - the stairway is through what looks like prison cell walls, into a dark alley. It's like they really want you to EARN that work permit, only the brave need apply!
Once inside the gate, this was the view...
Wings Plaza is under renovation and I felt so bad for Ms. Brenda - she was the only one working there and they were actively jackhammering right outside of her window ALL DAY. She was very helpful and gave me the contact info for an agent who could assist us with the process - like many things, it is not straightforward or quick. That's as far as I made it; I haven't contacted the agent. I'm very good at starting things, not so great at finishing them!
Saturday we had some business in the City to attend to, and the Easter Winds are most definitely hitting hard right now! As someone prone to seasickness, this really worried me and I barely slept the night before.
We went out on the 8:30 water taxi, check the wind speeds and wave heights:
Eeeeeeek.
I am glad to report that it wasn't that bumpy - definitely not as smooth as previous trips, but at no point did I want to hurl, so I'll take that as a win! Perhaps more importantly, no one else barfed on the boat (that I know of). We sit on the top deck (even without shade) to be in the fresh air. The guys sitting in the back got soaked on the way to the city, so it can be risky!
We were back to San Pedro later that same day, then relaxed on our land on Sunday.
Last night we started watching Mobland on Paramount+, only to have power go out around 6:30. No updates on the BEL app. Entire island without power. For the next 12 hours, it was mostly out, with flickers of power on for short durations. When it comes back on, everything "beeps". When it goes out, our CPU backup intermittently beeps until the battery dies. Not much sleep was had at all - rough, rough night. We had our camping fans charged, but when the "feels like" temp outside is 88, there is only so much they can do. Our neighbor has a generator that looks like it could power Grand Central Station, strategically placed 10' from our bedroom wall, that powers up when the current goes out. And the waves in our lagoon are aggressive, slamming into our back patio.
I received a text a few minutes ago that BEL is going to perform two 20-minute planned outages to conduct "system improvement works" for the entire island. With Nathan being a remote worker, it's helpful to get these advance notices!
We presume the reason for the outages was weather-related - a cold front blew in bringing aggressive winds. Or it could be that BEL connected Caye Caulker (the next island over) to our grid. Or overuse, as it's still high season. Who knows...? If you are considering moving here, I highly suggest having a solar system, even if you live on-grid. I am, once again, throwing out a lot of groceries.