Thursday, September 29th, 2016

We left the apt about 10am and quickly caught a taxi for 8mil to the Euro grocery store in Mayorista where we bought 436,141 (about $150) worth of groceries.  While Teresa picked up the last few items including the meat I sat down in their deli and had a café con leche.  (I noticed they have omelettes.)  A man put everything in the back of his van and the trip back cost 10mil.  (I bought a single roll of Scott toilet paper.  We’ll see how it stands up against the Suave Gold we usually buy.)

After lunch I reviewed the ballot mailing instructions and found some inconsistencies.  The most serious one was the printed instructions ask to mail it back in an envelope no wider than 6 1/8” when my paper is the standard 8 ½” wide.  I finally saw in the email that it accepts an envelope up to 9” wide.

I got everything ready, took a bus and got off at Office Depot where I bought the only envelope they sold – a very flimsy one for 250 pesos.  I caught another bus to MBE where I sent it off to the US for 25,000 pesos.  I gave the lady my last 50mil so I had 25mil in change.  I took a bus back to Starbucks for 2mil.  I put 2mil aside for my final bus ride then ordered 2 slices of carrot cake and a large vanilla latte.  The total came to 23,100 and I was embarrassed to find I only had 21mil and change.  The manager said not to worry and he gave me my order.  (If I was quicker thinking on my feet – which I’m not – I could have paid for my Starbucks order with my debit card.)  I asked a lady next to me where I could find the nearest ATM and she said to take the escalator upstairs.  I did and found a Bancolombia ATM.  I tried to withdraw 800,000 pesos and was declined.  I went back downstairs and ate one of the slices of carrot cake with my vanilla latte while reading my Nook.

I soon caught a bus back at 4:30 right in the worst of rush hour – which means forget about rushing.  Back in Envigado at 5pm I stopped in Bancolombia and tried to withdraw 600mil and again was declined.  I was getting worried that maybe my new debit card with the chip doesn’t work in Bancolombia ATMs.

Back at the apt I checked online and saw I only had about $200 left in my account – equivalent to about 435,000 pesos – which is why I was declined both of those times.  I should have a partial infusion of cash tomorrow and everything will be right with the world again.

I finished Bill O’Reilly’s Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan and downloaded Richard Shirreff’s War with Russia.

I’ve been exchanging emails with my Philippino friend in Hawaii who offered to send me a chess book and chess software.

T-shirt of the day: Wanted for being awesome.