Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up at 6:30.
I see my SS deposit so all is good.
It’s now 5:30 in the afternoon and I’m going to try to
recall this crazy day.
It was 8:30 when I packed my things in my tech bag for the
gym. I remember trying to put the house keys in my pocket but this pair of gym
shorts doesn’t have a pocket. Teresa asked me about checking something at the
gym and calling her with the result. I reminded her I don’t take my cellphone
to the gym. I left and at Smartfit my passcode didn’t work for the 3rd
time in a row. I stopped at the desk to ask what was wrong. She showed me her
cellphone where she translated “medical survey”. I asked facetiously if she was
a doctor and she showed me another translation “will send by email”. She then
told me I could enter. As usual I put my tech bag and sunglasses in a locker and
put on the padlock and finished my workout by 9:30. When I returned to the apt
I found I had forgotten my keys, probably still on the dining room table.
I sat down on the stairs and waited for Teresa to return; she
had mentioned something about going to Mayorca but surely she would shower
first. Fifteen minutes later I saw the elevator come up to our floor but it was
the neighbor across the hall. Funny, he didn’t seem to notice me sitting there.
I watched a number of other trips by the elevator most to the 5th to
8th floors. After a good amount of time I decided I would be more
comfortable on a sofa in the porteria. I noticed it was 11am as I took a seat
and as each minute passed the more I was convinced Teresa was going to Mayorca.
Just before noon I thought I remembered her phone number and asked Julio the
portero if I could borrow his phone to call Teresa. He checked his contacts and
dialed the number. He had it all the time and I could have called her much
earlier. ☹
She told me she was in Viva Envigado and she would meet me
in Santa Leña. I reminded her again I was in my gym clothes with no
cellphone and no cash. I walked to the mall and took a seat in Santa Leña.
She arrived a few minutes later and told me she was hungry. I wasn’t really
hungry yet but we went across the street to La Bahia and it was packed.
We had about a 10-minute wait for a table. I ordered my usual chicken breast
and she the chicharron. She gave me 100mil to pay for it and it was 34mil for
the two of us. We walked back to the apt and to say I was shocked my keys
weren’t on the dining room table would be an understatement but I FINALLY was
able to take a shower.
I left the apt and walked to the gym and inquired about my
keys. They brought out multiple sets of keys from a drawer but none were mine. I
told them I would check again when I return on Wednesday.
Across the street I caught a taxi that took me to the mall.
I waited in a short line to withdraw 2 million pesos from an ATM. I paid for
the apt quickly but had to wait in line for about 20 minutes to use the
consignacion machine. I stopped in Auros and had some hotel
confirmations printed. Outside I took a taxi to El Imperio de los Bolsos
where I picked up my repaired suitcase. As I was leaving the lady came out and
asked if I paid. I told her I paid when I dropped it off. I walked to Parva
where I had a café con leche with my usual glass of ice water and for the first
time was able to relax a little. I left about 5pm and returned to the apt
pulling the suitcase behind me.
Teresa quizzed me pretty well but I still have no idea what
happened to the keys. Since they’re not on the kitchen table I must have
dropped them when I put or retrieved my tech bag from my locker without hearing
or seeing anything. ☹
About 6:30 Teresa informs me she wants to go out to eat. She
suggested Olivia’s but not the one here in La Buena Mesa, she wants to
go to the one near where Laura stayed in Los Patios. I remembered it was
in Manila close to Philly’s Cheesesteak and Ganso y Castor. Then
she said it would take too long even though I had checked Waze and it was only
10 minutes. She then wanted Frisby but I was tired of that. She then
suggested we go to McDonald’s which we did. She ordered 2 pieces of
chicken and fries and a sugar free soda and I a Big Mac combo. (While waiting I
counted 16 people working behind the counter, in the kitchen and car pickup
area.) When our order was up she was a little upset because she didn’t get the
muslo she wanted. She ate her chicken and then tasted my Big Mac and liked it.
She asked me to order her a simple cheeseburger which I did for 9,900 pesos.
She took one bite then literally tore it in half and gave me half to eat. (She’s
been real careful now that she’s got her waist size down.) We left just before
8pm and returned to the apt.
I finally finished my first bottle of Exania, the
medicine for my lesions. The stuff is so thick it’s difficult to get out. I’m
now working on my 2nd bottle.
And NO, that was not an April Fools joke.
EL ARROYO SIGNS
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