Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

Slept well last night; but that doesn’t mean I didn’t get up a couple of times.

I just missed the pretty street sweeping lady this morning as she came by as I was shaving.

After coffee & reading the Chicago Sun-Times I went to Exito and bought another banana and milk – 1,958.  At a little booth outside Exito I bought a muffin that looked like banana nut.  It was all that and also spice for 4200 ($2.33) which I thought was a little expensive.

On the way home I saw the pretty seniorita who walks her dog talking to another man I had talked to before in English.

I checked my enlarged prostate medicine supply (Tamsulosin) and I have only enough to get me through the weekend so I think I’d better do some shopping at Carrefour next Monday.

10am Went to the tailors and picked up my altered shorts and dropped off a pair of pants.  He said they would be ready Monday and the cost would be 8mil ($4.44).  I then walked along Avenida 80 and stopped in at one small paper store and the only index cards they had were too big to fit in my pocket.  Stopped in at a little larger paper store and it was fun try to convey to the lady that I wanted something thicker than regular paper.  Finally she produced something that was a little wider and a little longer but fit in my pocket and only cost 1Mil (56 cents) so I bought it.  I plan to write a different address on each one and take it with me when I take a bus or taxi.

I got an email from my ex-wife with an attachment of a letter to me from Social Security that a check I had given them for $45 had bounced because my account was closed.  No shit!  Here’s the story:  Back in October (2012) at my local SS office I ordered a certified letter from Social Security that had to then be sent to Washington DC to be Apostilled so that I could get my Pensioner’s Visa from Colombia.  It cost me $48 and the whole process took about 6 weeks.  Since I didn’t know if I would get it back from the Colombian embassy (I didn’t) I decided it would be a good idea to get another one in case I moved to another country like Ecuador.  So I went to the SS office again on December 4^th to start the process over again.  (BTW, each time I went to SS there was a 90 minute wait for my turn!)  This time the lady didn’t know what I was talking about and the lady I originally worked with was gone for the week.  So I left my signature and a check for $45 (which is what I thought, mistakenly, it cost the first time).  When I got home I checked my checkbook and realized my mistake.  So, 2 days later I went back and left another check for $3.  The $3 check cleared within 2 weeks.  January 19^th rolls around (the day before I left the states) and the $45 check hadn’t cleared after more than 6 weeks.  I discussed it with my bank and they recommended I close the account which I did.  Now, 5 months later, SS wants their money!  And payment can be either by certified check or money order (which I don’t have access too) or by credit card (which I don’t have) and then mailing it (which I haven’t done as yet) to them.  And if they don’t receive it by May 29^th “interest and other penalties may be added to the amount owed based on current consumer lending rates”.  I’m probably going to ask my son or brother to help me out here and I can pay them back by personal check.

 I finally took a photo of the For Rent sign that is on our building:

11:45 the garbage truck came through.

1pm I left for lunch.  (It started raining lightly on the way.  Good thing I brought my umbrella so I can keep my iPad dry.) I wanted to have a picture of my Chicken Teriyaki to include here yesterday so I decided to go back and have their 9,900 special again.  Guess what?  I forgot again!  After I finished eating I had a nice conversation with one of the mall security guards.  It doesn’t hurt for them to get to know you; could come in handy someday.  I went into Exito and bought another yoga mat for 20,900 ($11.61).  It’s from Gym-Camp and is 1.8 meters long (5’11”), 60cm wide (23”), and 10mm (0.4”) thick so now my knees should be ok.  I’ll keep the other (more expensive one) rolled up and use it for my knee exercise.  It was still raining lightly when I came out about 3pm.

6pm had Lasagna and a coke for dinner at Alfredo’s in Viva Mall for 9,900 ($5.50).  Very good!  The only drawback is the server had to go to the kiosk next door to bet me a straw and the eating utensils were plastic.  They also have a Pasta of the Day with drink for 6,900 ($3.83)  Then I stopped in Exito and bought a bag of Pita Chips w/ sea salt, New York Style for 7,990 ($4.44).  They are ok but I don’t think I will buy them again.

A very kind expat introduced me to USTV NOW which is what it sounds like; on my laptop I can watch US TV.  Channels included for free are CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, CW, and Fox.  At 8pm I hope to watch Constitution USA on PBS.

Today’s food outlay was 31,990 ($17.77).  The chips I bought for a snack was almost as expensive as my dinner.