While I was in New Mexico, dad and I talked about the cost of things.

Food for example is super cheap compared to what we pay on Bowen Island. Housing is cheap too. One thing that was not cheap was the medical bill my dad was sent for one night in the hospital. $37,000.
Yup — $37,000.

Of course they made you feel better by itemizing everything. The $438. for “self administered drugs” was my favourite. Seriously? They charged $438. for dad to take his regular medication that he brought with him?

Anyway, thank goodness for Medicare. If dad was 37 years old instead of 87 years old, he would have to pay this bill. Crazy. The health care system there is all whacked out, but that’s another rant.

We also talked about what he did have to pay for. For example the obituary he wrote for his wife when she died. Granted it was wordy and told her life story, but still the bill for the obit in the local newspaper was $350.

I told Ken about this and he said, “Don’t spend that kind of money on my obit.” I said, no problem. I could just write, “Ken died.”

He said oh, you can put more than that in it.

I said fine, I’ll add “Boat for sale.”