Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep pretty quickly, got up once at 4am to pee, got up at 4:30 and read until 5am, returned to bed and fell back asleep until 6:45.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 4,765 steps yesterday and last night I slept for7 hours and 2 minutes for a sleep score of 82. (When I got up at 4am Fitbit only gave me a sleep score of 73 so that extra time helped.)

I left the apt just before 9am and found Smartfit about as busy as usual. I had my usual workout but had to adjust the order of my routine. I’m now setting the weight on the Seated Leg Curl to 50#, doing a few reps, then adjusting it up to 57 ½ pounds but doing more reps than before. This way I avoid the pain from my worn cartilage.

I found construction going on at the old Ganso y Castor location. I hope it will be another restaurant – one that will b open for breakfast. Maybe a café like Pergamino would be nice.

A photo of Glenn I found today.

I encountered Dan at his usual concrete table in the park getting a Spanish lesson from a chica. I invited him to join me for coffee in Los Porteños after his lesson. He joined me about 30 minutes later and we discussed many things. He told me he met Chris Cajoleas and I gave him some additional background on Chris. Dan is 65 years old and confirmed he has had Parkinson’s for the last 6 years but he isn’t affected much if he times his medicine correctly.

I left just before 11am and returned to the apt.

I left at noon and took a Didi to Mayorca mall where I met Teresa in Il Forno. She had her usual salmon and for a change I had a chicken panini sandwich for 127,615 pesos ($41).

She surprised me by suggesting we have ice cream at Crepes & Waffles so we shared a Suprema there for about 18,000 pesos.

I shared with Teresa my plan to see Pressure (7.3) tomorrow in Cine Colombia with showtimes at 2:15 and 4:55 pm.

There was another Choco earthquake at 1:32 this time only 4.21 on the Richter scale.

We shared a taxi back to Envigado and I stopped at the Bancolombia kiosk and printed yesterday’s chess games. I walked up to Smartfit where I caught an Envigado bus to Poblado.

From the bus I saw this ad for a company I worked for – Zurich (Insurance Company).

A young man got on the bus and sung the music I can’t stand, Rap.

In the Dann Carlton I made a reservation for us for Saturday at 7:30 although the restaurant is no longer a Tony Roma’s.

I returned to Envigado by bus and stopped in Gardenia for an hour or so. I was in no mood for anything hot so I got something new the waitress suggested – I don’t even know how to describe it but it was like coffee with ice cream that you mix yourself. (Do I still have to tip her if I do all the work (mixing) myself? 😊)

I left just after 5pm and returned to the apt.

Our gas is back on so we can return the hotplate back to the garage storage area.

I watched another episode of Falling Skies then started my pre-sleep routine.

 

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Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, took a while to fall asleep, got up once at 4:45, finally fell back asleep and was awakened at 6am by a light cramp in my right calf.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 3,752 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 6hours and 18 minutes for a sleep score of 78.

Teresa informed me that the number of dead has risen to over 400 due to the Colombian earthquake.

I understand it is going to be some time before they resolve our gas problem. In the meantime, Teresa remembered we have a hotplate in the garage storage area so we went down and retrieved it.

I left the apt at 7:15 and took a Didi to Unicentro mall for 20,600 pesos.

I received text messages from Un Gringo en Medellin asking about Glenn Susser.

I was early enough to purchase a banana and walked once around the mall.

I met Jose in Parmessano where we had eggs for breakfast.

We moved to the food court where Jose beat me with the Black pieces and I got a draw with the White pieces.

It was just after 1pm when we finished and I took a Didi to Viva Envigado for 21,000 pesos.

I had the chicken teriyaki in Sarku’s, withdrew 2,000,000 pesos from a Davivienda ATM, and had a latte in Urbania for about an hour.

I purchased a few groceries in Exito before returning to the apt by taxi.

I saw a special offer on my cellphone – 2 years of Reader’s Digest for only $15 that I took advantage of. They’ll just have to sit in my locker until the next time I have a package arrive.

Teresa now says the Colombian death total from the earthquake is 781. ☹

I watched another episode of Falling Skies before starting my pre-sleep routine.

 

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Monday, August 10, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 3:30, couldn’t fall back asleep, got up at 4 and read until 4:30, slept until 7am when I got up.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 3,569 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 6hours and 39 minutes for a sleep score of 70.

Having just finished my breakfast I was sitting at the dining room table when (about 7:35am) it started shaking then the entire apartment was shaking. After about a minute I got up and stood under the doorway to the guest bedroom. The whole time the earthquake lasted Teresa was saying a prayer.

That was the worst earthquake I’ve experienced in both length and severity.

We went down the stairs and stood outside with a lot of others.

I was only wearing my wraparound and my flipflops so after an hour I returned to the apt and changed into the shorts and t-shirt I usually wear around the apt and put on sandals. Back outside we joined others wondering when we would be let back inside.

Doyle, the other American in our building (maybe the entire complex) was seated nearby. He looks like he’s deteriorated in the past few years.

Teresa still hadn’t had breakfast so at 10am we walked to Picositas so she could eat a couple pastries. I just had a latte.

Here’s the local news carrying the story about the earthquake – extensive damage in Cali, Manizales and Pereira.

About 1:30 we moved to Otra Parte for lunch.

We left about 2:30 and returned to the apt and all seemed rather normal again. I don’t know if you can see these 3-D wall cracks in a 2-D photo.

Teresa had me send these photos to our real estate agency.

I understand we have no gas until it can be determined that there aren’t any leaks in the building.

Teresa reported 111 Colombian dead so far.

I watched another episode of Falling Skies, watched a little news then started my pre-sleep routine.

 

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Sunday, August 9, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, slept through the night finally waking/getting up at 6am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 6,765 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 7 hours and 25 minutes for a sleep score of 85. That’s my highest score yet.

I had a nap after breakfast that Fitbit says was 34 minutes.

Shower consisted of basically a sponge bath in the shower because I can’t get under that cold water.

Teresa wanted to take MT to El Tesoro but she didn’t feel like leaving her apt.

We left at noon and took a Didi to El Tesoro for 17,500 pesos. At first it wasn’t very crowded but that changed later in the afternoon. We had lunch in J&C Delicias for 170,554 pesos then frozen yogurt in Percimon.

New Annie James video

We left at 5pm and returned to the apt.

I watched another episode of Falling Skies on Netflix.

I finished reading James Patterson’s Double Cross (Alex Cross #13).

 

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Saturday, August 8, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 2:15, finally waking at 5:15 and getting up at 6:30.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 7,138 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 6 hours and 23 minutes for a sleep score of 75.

I arrived at Daniel’s barbershop right at 9am. I got my haircut and scheduled my next one for Tuesday, August 25^th, 2 days before we leave for Chicago.

I walked to Todo Drogas and bought more eye drops but they wouldn’t/couldn’t sell me zopiclona for this reason:

I have a prescription and I've purchased it here before so I don't know what has changed.

I walked to La Buena Mesa and had a latte outside Los Porteños. Strange, but Dan came out and a few minutes later went back in but didn’t appear to notice me.

I left at 11:30 and returned to the apt.

I left the apt at 2:15 and was surprised to find Asados Rogelio packed and there were several people waiting for a table. I went next door to Tierra Querida and had a burger, fries and a Coke. What I didn’t like about the burger: the pickles are sweet not dill, and it seemed they place all of them with the tomato slices and cheese at one side of the burger instead of spreading them around.

I moved to Los Porteños where I had a latte and completed another page of puzzles, missing one. I played another 15+10 game on Chess.com against a higher rated player, losing in 34 moves.

Received an email my brother is coming for a visit Friday, October 16^th to Saturday, October 24^th.

I left at 5pm and returned to the apt.

Teresa returned at 6:30 and brought me a pastel de pollo from Picositas for my supper.

We had another hot day so I’m thinking we’re in a summer period.

I still can’t get the hot water heater to work. ☹

I finished season 3 of Falling Skies then started my pre-sleep routine.

 

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Friday, August 7, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 12:45am, finally waking at 5am and getting up at 6am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 4,157 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 6 hours and 47 minutes for a sleep score of 81. 😊

Today is a holiday here as it’s the inauguration of their new president.

I tried paying for my Chess.com membership by entering my debit card on their website but it wouldn’t accept it either. ☹

I had a short nap after breakfast.

I have an email from USAA that I need to call because there’s an issue with my debit card. ☹

I had a short nap after breakfast, 16 minutes per my Fitbit.

I left the apt just after 9am with my gym bag and checked it into a locker on the 3^rd floor. I completed my usual workout keeping the Seated Leg Curl at 60# without much bother. I completed my treadmill with a final heartrate of 125bpm.

In La Buena Mesa I bought my usual banana and found a gringo seated at one of the concrete tables. His name is Dan and he was born in southern Illinois, most recently from California. He’s on his 3rd day of 6 weeks here and I knew he was a gringo because I saw his book on Spanish Verb Tenses.

We chatted for about an hour before I returned to the apt.

I left the apt about 2:30 and had a latte in Gardenia. I completed another 12 chess puzzles but got 5 of them wrong. ☹ I played another 15/10 game on Chess.com but lost in 24 moves.

I left at 5pm and stopped in a busy Antonio’s Gelato and bought a half liter of pistachio for 30mil.

Across the street in the park I came upon Dan working in his Spanish Verb Tenses book. I asked what he did today and he told me he’s just planning his weekend. He informed me that the Classic & Antique car parade is tomorrow, starts at 9:45am at the El Colombiano office, goes south to Mayorca mall then turns around and comes back this way. He says he’ll probably skip the silleteros (sp?) parade since he heard it really crowded. I noticed Dan shaking and I wonder if he has Parkinson’s disease. ☹

I returned to the apt and Teresa informed me she’s returning to Jardin de Botanico tomorrow with her friend Rosemary.

I received an email from USAA that there is a fraud concern with my debit card. When I tried to call them my MagicJack didn’t work.

I tried calling them from my cellphone but I suspect they were gone for the day/week.

I chatted with USAA and they reported a $249,900 attempted charge from Chess.com. I informed them that it’s probably in Colombian Pesos so that equates to something like 80 USD. They unblocked my card so now hopefully my Chess.com payment can go through.

Chesswiz98 surprised me by resigning our game on the 19^th move increasing my rating to 1557.

 

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Thursday, August 6, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 2:45am, finally waking/getting up at 6:15.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 9,853 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 7 hours and 49 minutes for a sleep score of 82. 😊

I went to take a shower but today there’s no hot water. I changed the D batteries (had a devil of a problem removing one of them) but still no hot water. ☹ I recall having the same problem last time I changed them.

I checked my blog and the last time I changed them was September 24, 2025 and then I noted, “you have to be sure the batteries are seated properly (pushed up) in the container”. I’ve done that several times already so I guess I just have to keep trying.

I chatted with USAA but they don’t see an attempt by Paypal to authorize my debit card. ☹ Back in Paypal I saw where I can delete the old card but same issue when I tried to add the new one. I ended up linking my bank to my Paypal account; hopefully that will work so I can pay my Chess.com bill.

I left the apt at 2:15, printed my latest games with Jose and took a seat outside Los Porteños. I completed another page of 12 puzzles and only got 2 wrong this time. I then played a 15’10” game on Chess.com, finally paired with someone with a higher rating (99 points higher) but he blundered a piece on the 13^th move and resigned. I reviewed my chess games vs Jose and it’s amazing the difference one bad move can make.,

I left at 5:30 and returned to the apt.

I watched another episode of Falling Skies then watched the NFL Hall of Fame game until 8pm when I started my pre-sleep routine.

 

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