Friday, December 12, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. I quickly fell asleep, got up once at 3am, finally waking/getting up at 6am.

The street is wet so we must have had some rain overnight.

Teresa was already gone for her early morning gym class – yoga or pilates or something like that.

She returned at 8am and made breakfast. After, I went for a 45-minute nap but couldn’t fall asleep.

I left the apt at 9am and found Smartfit not as busy as usual. I completed my workout including 16 minutes on the treadmill with a high pulse rate of 125bpm.

I walked to Ganso y Castor in a light drizzle. The rain finally ended just before 11am and I made my escape back to the apt.

This weekend Jeannie & Jacob are attending a wedding in Costa Rica 😊 and Annie James is staying with JoAnn and her husband Danny.

I left the apt at 2pm and had a latte in Los Porteños. I noticed this nativity scene they set up in my absence.

I saw a man leave Milonga

with 5 cases of what looked like Obleas wafers. I guess that’s how they stay in business because I seldom see any customers there.

I left at 3:45 and stopped in Eduardo Madrid to buy a stollen. Unfortunately, it was the last one and when I picked it up it didn’t feel fresh. Looking in the display case, I saw a fruit cake but it was 340,000 pesos. Really? I left empty handed.

I stopped in Ara and bought green apples, tomatoes and a bag of milk before returning to the apt.

This is Teresa’s collection of bracelets she’s made.

I watched another episode of Downton Abbey.

Teresa had a massage from Kelly from 5:30 to 6:30.

I turned to IMTV but there was so much buffering I gave up.

Today I walked 5,445 steps. Not bad.

 

FUNNY

 

Thursday, December 11, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. I quickly fell asleep, got up once during the night, again at 4am, couldn’t fall back asleep, got up at 4:30.

Teresa got up at 5am and made breakfast.

After breakfast I returned to bed and slept from 5:30 to 7:30.

When I got up, Teresa was gone to her gym class. I showered, dressed and left the apt just before 8am.

I walked to the mall where I recycled the pages from my old chess notebook. I bought a blueberry muffin in Starbucks and took it to Urbania and was a little surprised they were already open. They used to open at 9am – maybe this early opening is only for the Christmas season. I ordered my usual latte with a glass of ice water. I perused my cellphone and went over some chess notes I had brought with me.

I left just after 10am and went upstairs where I made a cash withdrawal. I looked to see what banking systems Davivienda supports

and unfortunately Discover Card isn’t on the list. I walked around the banking area and checked the other ATMs but all of them are the same. ☹ I wonder if my new Capital One card will even work in restaurants and stores here.

I stopped in Dollar City and bought a new notebook for for 6 mil to record my chess games with Jose.

I stopped in Exito – no more imported oranges but I’ll check in Carulla on Sunday. I bought 5 gala apples (a woman working in produce tried to speak a little English with me. She said the apples are crispy and from France) a package of Q-Tips and a 6-pack of Coke before returning to the apt by taxi.

I drew a game with the White pieces against Troyclough lowering my rating one point to 1523.

Teresa was listening to something one her cellphone when I heard music. I said to myself that sounds like New Orleans Jazz. She showed me the name and I googled it and found this:

I received an email that my Amazon package has arrived in Miami.

I didn’t go out in the afternoon but watched a couple more episodes of Downton Abbey. I’m nearing the end of season 5 and I thought that would be the end of the series but now I see there’s more episodes scheduled to begin early next year.

I watched the first half of The Chris Hayes Show then started my pre-sleep reading.

Today I walked 4,523 steps, not bad for it not being a gym day.

 

FUNNY

 

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. I quickly fell asleep, but was awakened at 3:30 by a tremblor that shook me awake. It lasted about 10 seconds followed by a couple shorter aftershocks. I didn’t sleep deeply after that, finally waking/getting up at 6:30.

There were actually 2 tremblors in Colombia just a few minutes apart.

I left the apt at 8:15 and walked to Smartfit which I found as busy as usual. After starting on the Butterfly machine, I realized something wasn’t right. I checked the column and someone had left an extra 10# on it (like I used to do) but forgot to remove them. I removed them and it felt more normal. I completed my workout including another 16 minutes on the treadmill with a high pulse rate of 125.

I had a latte outside Ganso y Castor and once again the squirrel got the peanut without me noticing. I updated ChatGPT with my treadmill results and also inquired as to my leg stiffness after sitting for 2-3 hours yesterday. It assured me it was normal but gave me a few exercises I can do before getting up out of the chair. I received an email from Clinica de Campestre reminding me of my appointment tomorrow, which allowed me to cancel it.

There isn’t an option for, “I already talked to the doctor”, so I chose option 4.

I left at 10:15 and walked back to the apt.

I balanced October & November’s Capital One checking account statements against my own Excel spreadsheet.

I don’t know what happened to Microsoft File Explorer – today I have to access it by the Start button.

I left the apt at 12:15 and took a Didi to Mayorca mall for 10,700 pesos. I recycled all my old Tigo Une receipts. I asked a security guard where I could print some pages and he sent me down a level to what he called a “stationery store”. It wasn’t that but after a 5-minute wait I got my single page printed. I don’t know how much they charged because I just dumped the change in my palm and let the girl take the correct amount.

I took an elevator up to the 4^th floor where I found Teresa sitting at a picnic table outside Crepes & Waffles. She pointed out how busy the restaurants were so I just sat with her for a few minutes.

We noticed a new company, Cine Prox, has taken over the movie theater here. We’re officially in Sabaneta but I see it also has several locations in Medellin.

Teresa informed me that Jamaica’s Miss Universe contestant fell and is in serious condition. I googled it and her name is Gabrielle Henry and I saw a video of her falling “in a hole?” from onstage in Thailand and she is in the hospital with a brain bleed. ☹

We went to the other side of the floor and found a seat available in Parmessano. Teresa had a shrimp appetizer and I the chicken Cesar salad and we shared a bottle of water for 68,069 pesos ($17.75).

We returned to the apt by taxi.

I left the apt at 2:15 and walked the two blocks to Gardenia Café where I had a latte while reviewing some chess notes. Their “impossible to add more” coffee

Actually it’s a latte, but you know.

I received an email that my Amazon order has shipped and should arrive in Miami tomorrow.

I left at 4:30 and stopped in Ara (no line 😊) and bought a bottle of liquid laundry detergent for 4,450 pesos before returning to the apt.

I ordered Christmas presents for Jimmy & Jeannie, unfortunately they are going to arrive by the weekend. In the future I should probably wait until “10 days before Christmas”.

I watched another episode of Downton Abbey on Netflix then the first half of The Chris Hayes Show before reading some of my new book.

Today I walked 5,136 steps, that’s more like it but then again it was a gym day.

 

FUNNY

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 9:45. I quickly fell asleep, got up once at 3:45, finally waking/getting up at 6:15.

Teresa had already left for her gym class.

I saw all these small feathers on the balcony.

At 7:20 I started the process of ordering a Didi. Luckily one was only 2 minutes away but it cost me 28,302 pesos, a new high. When we got to the expressway it was like a parking lot with no cars moving. The driver asked if it was okay if we went a different way. I approved and he took a frontage road to the new bridge and up the hill to Ave Poblado. It was still slow going until just before the Gold Mile we turned off and went past the Aguacatala traffic circle to the highway which was now moving. I kept Jose up-to-date on my progress. He texted me that Santa Leña no longer serves breakfast, just drinks and pastries. I met him in Todo Fresa and I had the French toast but added a couple scrambled eggs.

I had the Black pieces in the first game and I got an attack but couldn’t finish it and he soon got the advantage and my flag fell after 46 moves but he would have checkmated me in the next couple moves anyway.

I had the White pieces in the second game and he got a strong attack against my king and I was just trying to survive. He made a good move on his 37^th move and he didn’t think I had a reply but I found a surprising move that would force his queen away from the attack but he blundered her on his next move and resigned.

It was now 2:30 but I quickly had a Didi take me to Viva Envigado for 18,600 pesos.

I see the mall now has a roller coaster in the children’s play area.

As I went up to the 3^rd floor I was thinking of trying a Home Burger but at the top of the escalator there was Best Burger. I had their Classic Burger, which came with fries, and a Coke for 42 mil.

I went down to Claro and got in a short line but when it was my turn was told my balance was still zero. ☹

It was too late for coffee so I took the back way into Exito and picked up a large carton of eggs. At checkout the girl opened the package which contained a small free can of kernel corn. She scanned it then I pointed to the sign on the big that said it was “gratis”. At least she did a good job of repackaging it.

Outside I was surprised to see it raining and a taxi line under the shelter. I managed to squeeze in under it until it was my turn about 20 minutes later. I returned to the apt by taxi. The portero said something to me in passing – maybe he was informing me it would have been okay to have the taxi enter the complex and drop me off in the garage.

I watched another episode of Downton Abbey.

Teresa pointed out a pigeon on the balcony railing that appeared to be sick. Maybe that was the source of the feathers I saw this morning?

For supper I finished the pasta leftovers from yesterday.

Teresa got a massage from Kelly from about 6:30 to 7:30.

I finished reading Karin Slaughter’s Blindsighted on my Kindle.

Today I walked 2,808 steps; about as expected for a OTB chess day.

 

FUNNY

Monday, December 8, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. I quickly fell asleep, got up once at 4:15 (still heard fireworks), finally waking/getting up at 6:45.

Today is another holiday, Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

I left the apt at 8:30 and found Smartfit not as busy as usual. I completed my workout including 16 minutes on the treadmill reaching a pulse rate of 121 bpm so maybe I’m improving. By the time I left, the gym was as busy as usual.

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor while going through my cellphone.

I caught the squirrel on video taking the peanut.

And again when it returned to look for another

Anthony informed me there will be more fireworks tonight. I left at 10:30 and returned to the apt.

At noon we took a Didi to Arkadia mall for 12,500 pesos (probably so cheap because there wasn’t any heavy traffic).

Just inside the main entrance Teresa saw Olivia restaurant and decided we’ll eat there. Surprisingly, she ordered a plate of garlic bread as an appetizer (I think she thought it was just going to be a couple pieces – it was more like naan bread the size of a medium pizza).

 It was very good but when they brought our entrees, meatball pasta for her and pasta ragu for me both included 2 pieces of bread.

(Who is this woman and what have you done with my wife?) We shared a bottle of water and the check came to 115,378 pesos ($31), including the usual 10% tip.

I let Teresa work on her latest bracelet project while I went up to have something printed. I took the nearest elevator up to the 5^th floor but my end of the hall was separated from the end I needed by a Smartfit. I had to take the elevator down to the 4^th floor walk to the end of the hall and take the elevator from there up to the 5^th floor. Unfortunately, the copy center was closed, probably for the holiday.

I stopped in the restroom on my way back to the restaurant. Teresa stopped in Decathlon but I don’t know what she was looking for. We left the mall and walked across the street to Pricesmart where we bought 3 turkey breasts, a 3-pack of Sensodyne toothpaste, a large package of blueberries and some vegetables for 396,205 pesos ($105.50). At the top of the escalator a Pricesmart employee took our cart down the escalator and to the taxi area where one was waiting for us. We returned to the apt for 16,000 pesos.

I took a 30-minute nap and it rained a little while I was sleeping.

I finished season 4 of Downton Abbey, only 1 season to go.

Today I walked 5,765 steps; much better.

 

FUNNY

 

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. I quickly fell asleep, slept through the night, finally waking at 5:15, couldn’t fall back asleep and I got up at 6am.

Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day!

I left the apt at 8:15 and walked to Sao Paulo Plaza and took a seat in Olivenza. Glenn arrived a few minutes later. He has given up coffee in the morning the last 4 days because it makes him nauseous. Today he tried the aromatica but wasn’t impressed. Glenn told me he went to Dr. Scholl’s in Medellin and got a medical pedicure for 100,000 pesos. He will see a nutritionist this week but isn’t optimistic because she doesn’t speak English. The apple pie he brought on Thanksgiving Day he bought from Modou Panaderia in Laureles

but so far I haven’t been successful at adding it to my Whatsapp contacts.

We said goodbye at 10:45 and I walked back to the apt, stopping at a corner grocery store to buy a bag of milk.

I watched another episode of Downton Abbey.

I ate my salted-in-the-shell peanuts and drank my last Coke while I watched the Bears lose to the Packers 28-21. ☹

Fireworks in the evening as this is the night they light candles.

Today I walked 3,613 steps.

 

FUNNY

 

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. I quickly fell asleep, slept through the night, finally waking at 5:30, couldn’t fall back asleep and I got up at 6am.

I took a Didi for 7,700 pesos to Daniel’s barbershop for my 9am haircut. I checked google maps and it would be a 17-minute walk from our apt.

After my haircut I took a Didi for 8,100 pesos to Todo Drogas on Calle 37. I checked google maps and it would only be a 7-minute walk from Daniel’s shop. Maybe I’ll try that one of these days. I bought a few medications for 81,300 pesos ($22) and walked to Ganso y Castor where I had a latte. I left at 11am and returned to the apt.

At 12:15 we took a Didi to Mayorca mall. We had lunch in Olivia’s, fish soup and a bread plate for Teresa and lasagna for me. We shared a bottle of water and the check came to 127,506 pesos ($34).

We went down to Medipiel who was having a big sale and Teresa bought 691,150 pesos ($184) of beauty products.

We took a taxi to Gardenia Café where I had a latte. At one point I noticed it was raining outside but only a space about 5 yards wide. I don’t know if you can see it from this video but it’s raining straight ahead behind the pole but on the edges of the frame there’s no rain.

Teresa’s friend Rosemary arrived at 4pm. She was born in Colombia but lived the past 45 years in Rhode Island and speaks perfect English. We had a nice conversation. She had an avocado toast and Teresa an ice cream fruit cup and I picked up the check of 80,000 pesos.

On our way back to the apt Teresa ran into someone else she knew and they chatted about 10 minutes then we continued on to the apt.

Well, Annie James made a visit to see Santa Claus

I watched another episode of Downton Abbey.

Today I walked 4,247 steps.

 

FUNNY