Well, it WAS the battery!...the car started today with no problems...took it to the shop and the guy tested the battery, asked me to start the car: no problem....told me to turn it off and turn on the lights, radio and a/c- without starting the engine- and, sure enough, after that, it was dead again!!!...it's ok, when I bought the car (used) I knew the guy that sold it to me had had to buy a battery for it, as the one it had died on him 3 days before he delivered the car...I KNOW he didn't buy a NEW one...so, it lasted 18 months...now I have a brand new battery, which has a 2-year warranty...it was on sale, too, at $60....I'm glad for several reasons:
1. it happened NOW, when I had the $$$ to buy it without incurring new debt
2. it happened TO ME, on a WEEKEND, at my cousin's, at around 7:00pm....and not to my niece at the university on a weeknight- she finishes classes at 9pm!...

Thank God for small mercies!
...I'm happy!

another expense for today were Ale's medicines (needed to complete her treatment): $38...this is after the 20% discount!!!- they did some research and found that Salvadorans pay the most for medicines in Central AMerica....up to 500% of the "real" price...whatever that means!...oh, well, at least part of the medical expenses is reimbursable (we'll see how much!, it's my first time using THIS policy!)

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Expected expenses for tomorrow: plumber!...there are leaks in 2 of our bathrooms that are above my level of expertise! (I'm afraid I'd end up like the people in the comic strips, flooding the house and having to pay extra while trying to save some $$$)...minor repairs, I do myself, but at least one of these means replacing parts that I have no idea how to put in!- I can't even explain it in English!...I expect it to cost anywhere between $30-$60...I'll call the plumber tomorrow morning, as they charge extra to come on the weekends!