Batteries and Such

Here's how an alcoholic thinks . . . 

We have been balls to the walls for two solid weeks.  I mean, get up and go, run hard until we collapse in bed.  Today - Day 14 - we had scheduled as an off day.  The idea was to take it a little easy at the midpoint of the trip, rest up, maybe stroll around the area a bit and do some shopping.  We are awakened by the sound of rain falling in the courtyard - that and the horns beeping and loud, metal crashing sounds of an indeterminate origin and the regular, amplified calls to prayer coming from the mosques.  Still, we chomp at the bit to go do something.  We're both worn out and run down and a slow day is probably a good idea - recharge the batteries. It's damn hard to do.  I don't want to miss anything but I don't want to wear myself out totally so that I don't enjoy the second half of the trip.

Where's the middle?  Why is it so hard to find the middle?  My two choices always seem to be Completely Stopped or Full Acceleration.  One of my whole goals in recovery is to try to get somewhere in the middle, find some balance.  I'm not God of the Universe and I'm not a Piece of #$@!!.

Speaking of batteries . . .  SuperK's camera pooped out on her early in the trip.  We asked at one of the restaurants about purchasing some batteries.  One of the tirelessly helpful young men always hustling here offered to get replacements for us.  After a bit he returned with four batteries and zero packaging.  We were dubious but when SuperK put them in the camera the indicator showed that there was a full charge available.  

Dude tries to work us for a tip.  Everybody here is always working you for a tip.  One of the main defense mechanisms is the 1000 yard stare.  Don't say No which means Maybe - don't look at the person or the goods which indicates interest - for god's sake don't say Yes because you'll have hell to pay unless you want to buy everything in the store.  The shop owners start expensive and ratchet down more and more as you go along, eventually steering you to the part of the store with the cheap trinkets.  If you buy one, they try to get you to buy two.  If you buy absolutely everything in a particular genre they start on a new genre.

Want to guess how long those used batteries lasted?