Saturday, February 8, 2025

Friday, February 7, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up twice during the night, finally waking/getting up at 6am.

I left the apt at 7:45 and it appeared I was amidst a mass migration to the local schools. I completed my workout in Smartfit with a brief conversation with Canadian Michael about making initial deposits into checking accounts.

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor and at one point marveled that it was only 9am. I saw a man that walk through the park who was obviously an orthodox Jew. You don’t see many of them here. About 10am 3 tables next to me were set up for a birthday party. I was starting to feel a little cool anyway and as I left they took my table and moved it next to the other three so I guessed right.

Teresa returned from her gym class at 11:15.

I won a game vs Mr_Blamo increasing my rating to 1576.

I left the apt at 1:30 and had a latte in Los Portenos while working on a few more puzzles. About 4pm it started raining. I left about 5pm when it had settled down to just a little dripping.

I watched another episode of The Madness on Netflix.

At 8pm I switched to DirecTV for Yo Mi Llamo but got the same “satellite sin seƱal” error message as before.

It started pouring about 10pm and was still raining when I went to bed 15 minutes later.

 

EL ARROYO



Friday, February 7, 2025

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 4:45am, got up for good at 6am.

I drew a game in 55 moves with Troyclough, lowering my rating to 1574.

I had a 30-minute nap after breakfast.

I left the apt at 8:30 and walked to the mall where I printed June & July calendar pages in Auros. I took a seat in Urbania and had a latte while solving some chess puzzles. Teresa called me with a list of things she needed from Exito. I left at 10:45, bought everything she requested except they were agotado on broccoli. I returned to the apt by taxi. At Teresa’s request I went next door to Ara and bought broccoli.

Back in our complex I did a test. Old people like me are supposed to be able to walk up 40 steps in 60 seconds but I did it in less than 35 seconds so I guess I’m doing okay.

I see Companion (7.4) is playing here but it’s only in Spanish. I see Flight Risk (5.5) is also playing here but that’s not a very good rating.

We left the apt at 2:45 and took a Didi to Santafe mall. Teresa went to meet her friend Monica and I went down to Valentina Bakery where I had a latte while completing a few more chess puzzles.

I read that the Virginia McCaskey, owner of the Chicago Bears, has passed away at 102. 

Teresa joined me about 4:30 and informed me her friend hadn’t shown up because she’s in Bello (the other end of Medellin). She must have gotten a call without me noticing because the next thing I know she says Monica is waiting for us in Crepes & Waffles. We went up to the 4th floor to Crepes & Waffles but she wasn’t there. I told Teresa to order me a banana split while I made a quick trip to the restroom. When I returned, Monica still wasn’t there but arrived soon after just before our ice cream dishes arrived. She ordered some type of waffle with ice cream.

When the check came Monica tried to pay it but I grabbed it and paid it and told Monica “no llorando y no peleando”.

Teresa admired Monica’s cellphone, a Samsung A05S that sells for $125 on Amazon. I have told Teresa I want her to get a new cellphone before we leave for Chicago, one with a screen protector.

We left about 5:45 and it took a while to catch a taxi outside.

I started watching a series The Madness (6.4) on Netflix.

 

EL ARROYO



Thursday, February 6, 2025

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at midnight (it was raining hard), again at 5am (rain had stopped), got up for good at 6am.

After breakfast we both went back to bed for about an hour.

We agreed to meet for lunch in Mayorca at 12:30.

I left at 8:15 for the gym. I put a peanut in the tree as usual on my way but I had the feeling I was missing something. I finally figured it out as I reached the gym, I forgot to bring my cellphone. I completed my workout in between a few conversations with Michael, mainly about US (and probably Canadian) banks and their foreign transaction fees.

When I left, I returned directly to the apt and Teresa was just leaving for her gym class in Mayorca.

I left the apt at 10:30 and had a latte in Ganso y Castor while working on some chess puzzles. I had a Didi pick me up across the street at Antonio’s Gelato and take me to Mayorca mall. I arrived just before 12:30 and Teresa arrived 15 minutes later.

We had lunch in Crepes & Waffles, I had the Cesar salad with chicken and Teresa had the spinach chicken crepe and we shared a bottle of water. For dessert I had a latte and we shared their Suprema ice cream cup



for a total of 85,850 pesos ($20.50).

We bought 4 rolls of garbage bags in Dollar City then checked out the sales in Medipiel. We returned to the apt by taxi – no wait.

I finished the series Dear Child then watched Cunk on Life, both on Netflix.

Teresa watched Yo Me Llamo tonight and the Frank Sinatra performer did an excellent rendition of Come
Fly With Me.

 

EL ARROYO



Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Bob Burford - Part IX

In case it seems like I dropped off the face of the earth, I had another heart attack (number 4) a week ago and have been in the hospital ever since getting prepared for open heart surgery. They were shooting for Tuesday or Wednesday of this week but that didn't happen so probably Thursday. Cross your fingers.

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 5:30, got up for good just before my alarm went off at 6:30.

I checked Google Flights and finally the price came down a little to $1558.

I took a Didi to Unicentro mall arriving 5 minutes before they opened. Jose met me in Parmessano where we each had their French toast. I brought him up to date on our Chicago travel plans. Interestingly, he suggested I not leave Teresa alone in Chicago during these politically turbulent times. I told him I had already planned on only letting her go to the restroom alone.

We adjourned to the food court where I had the Black pieces in the first game. He had considerable pressure against my king but that all changed in one move and I ended up checkmating him on move 27.

I had the White pieces in the next game and I got a couple moves ahead of him in development and I opened up the center but I blundered on the 40th move and ended up losing in 45 moves.

So Black ended up winning both games today.

It was only 1:15 when I said goodbye to Jose and took a Didi to Viva Envigado. I had the large bowl of granola with yogurt and chia berries in Pergamino. I went down to Urbania where I had a latte until about 3:30. I bought a few things in Exito and as I was checking out, Teresa called and asked me to buy Fab laundry detergent. I told her she was too late, besides my hands were already full with my jacket, grocery bag and package of toilet paper. I returned to the apt by taxi, in a few raindrops by the way. I dropped off everything in the apt then went next door to Ara where I bought Fab and a loaf of sandwich bread. The raindrops were getting more frequent.

We had some rain in the evening.

Teresa made toasted ham sandwiches for supper.

I watched a couple episodes of Dear Child (7.3) on Netflix.

 

EL ARROYO



Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Monday, February 3, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 5am, got up for good when Teresa closed our bedroom door at 6:15.

Teresa is going to a gym class in Mayorca so I wonder if she’ll call me later and ask me to meet her there for lunch.

Some months ago, someone opened a closet size health food bar next to Smarfit. I found Michael sitting there so I asked if he talked to Victoria last week about sending his form to Canada. He said right after I talked to him he met his girlfriend in Mayorca and he took care of it there. He told me about his visa renewal problem which I wasn’t able to help with. He explained his banking problem and I recommended both Charles Schwab (he already has an investment account there) and Capital One 360.

Today I increased the weight on the Butterfly machine by 5# and completed my workout without incident.

 I had a latte in Ganso y Castor for about 90 minutes before returning to the apt.

I’ve been tracking our flights since January 20th and except for a bottom of $1279 on January 27th, it’s just gone up every week now at a high of $1704.

I checkmated mekael965 in 63 moves increasing my rating to 1576.

I just realized we’re about 3 months late for our next dentist appointment. I gave Teresa his contact information so she can book us back to back afternoon appointments.

About 4pm we had a downpour that lasted about 15 minutes then lessened to a light drizzle. Kelly was supposed to come to give Teresa a massage but the fact she has a motorcycle might keep her away.

Kelly arrived at 5pm so Teresa still got her massage.

I vegged out the rest of the day and night watching movies on Netflix.

 

EL ARROYO



Monday, February 3, 2025

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 3am, finally waking/getting up at 6am thanks to a truck arriving at Ara next door.

I tried to log into Airbnb and got the same stupid puzzles with took me a while to figure out what rules they’re using. I received a message from our host Milena and my reservation is back to Sunday, June 15th to Tuesday, July 15, saving me $72.31. It’s nice to have options.

I see my Airbnb payment in my USAA account. I’ll give it a few days to reconcile their refund.

News Flash: “According to the Groundhog Day 2024 ceremony held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the famous groundhog did not see his shadow when he emerged from his burrow at Gobbler’s Knob shortly before 7:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 212This suggests that there will be an early spring this year1.”

Now I understand MT will be coming with us, which at least guarantees there won’t be a lot of walking. Teresa said we may decide to have lunch in San Peregrino so we wouldn’t have to continue on to La Ceja. Hmm, maybe this is just a plot to get me to go to mass in San Peregrino.

At 9:45 I started the search for a ride with Didi. After 10 minutes of “expanding their search” I cancelled it and switched to InDrive but I couldn’t figure out how to add additional stops so I switched to Uber. It was a 12-minute wait but out car finally arrived at 10:15. Turns onto Ave Las Vegas were allowed even though ciclovia was in progress. Our driver moved into the right lane like he was going to turn right to go to the autopista and I said, “donde vas?” and Teresa in the back finally joined in and directed him south to pick up MT. She questioned if I forgot to add her stop but I know I did. The driver didn’t even have his gps on until we were well on our way.

At Terminal Sur we bought our tickets to San Peregrino for about 10mil each. The bus was supposed to leave at 11am but didn’t even arrive until 11:30 and five minutes later we were off. Ninety minutes later we got off at a dusty road that we walked up to the location of the mass.



Not sure if this is a shrine for some reason but there’s no church. There appeared to be an outdoor mass going on at the moment so Teresa recommended we have lunch now before the mass finishes and there are long lines. Teresa and MT had trout and I the only other option, a pork tamal (tamale for you gringos that don’t know better).



I can’t really say I enjoyed my tamale so I finished the fries and tomato slices that Teresa left on her plate.

By the time we finished there was a long line for food so we left so others would have a place to sit.

We made a trip to the restroom and I was surprised to enter my first unisex restroom (for 1mil). The left side was for men and consisted of 3 partitioned urinals followed by 2 stalls and the women’s side consisted of 5 stalls. (There was a common hand washing sink near the entrance.)  I took the last stall (men’s) which had no lock but at least closed securely and had a toilet seat but no toilet paper. Typical Colombia.

Outside we sat down on a bench we found away from the crowds. Just before 3pm Teresa and MT went for mass while I started my new paperback Paper Towns by John Green. I discovered two no-see-um bites on my right forearm.

They returned about 4pm and we had cafƩ con leches (cardboard cups) in more comfortable plastic chairs than the bench. At 4:30 we walked down the hill and checked the buses in the parking lot but I guess they were going a different way. We crossed the main road and quickly got on the bus but got makeshift seats. Teresa sat shotgun while I was between her and the driver with my feet stuck under the dashboard.

About 20 minutes later someone got off and I moved back to the now available seat. Next to me was a young man with a motorcycle helmet in his lap and he leaned against the window the whole trip. A few people got on and off and I noticed this hose in the aisle with at least 8 pairs of wheels attached.



I couldn’t figure out what the purpose of the wheels.

Traffic was heavy and we didn’t return to estacion Exposiciones until 7pm, 2 ½ hours. I’m not doing this again.

We quickly caught a taxi, dropped MT off at her apt and Teresa surprised me not because she said she was hungry but because she wanted to eat at McDonald’s. We got out and walked inside and I was pleasantly surprised it wasn’t freezing as it had so many times before.

She got the Mc something and I a quarter pounder and a large soda to share and I guess they upgraded one of us to a combo because it included fries. She liked her burger so I guess there’s hope for her when we arrive in Chicago.

I asked Teresa if this San Peregrino mass was something special the first February Sunday of the year. She informed me it was special and it was the first Sunday of every month. Well, I’m not doing that again. In the future, she can go with MT, Esmeralda for some other girlfriend.

 

EL ARROYO