Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10:15, took a while to fall asleep quickly, got up once at 4:45, couldn’t fall back asleep, got up at 5:30 and did some work on the computer.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 8,509 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 5 hours and 24 minutes.

At 6:15 I went back to bed for half an hour but wasn’t able to fall asleep. I got up, showered, and dressed and ordered a Didi to take me to Unicentro mall for 19,800 pesos.

Traffic was good and I arrived about 20 minutes early – enough for me to walk around the mall 3 times.

This is a Mr. Potato Head they had on display outside the main entrance:

My 2 scrambled eggs with Italian sausage, almond croissant, latte and bottle of water to go in Parmessano was 47,637 pesos.

We adjourned to the food court and in the first game I blundered a knight on my 5^th move. ☹ I fought on until the 36^th move before resigning. In the second game I gained a pawn which I managed to queen and he resigned on the 58^th move.

It was only 1pm when I ordered a Didi to take me to Viva Envigado for 18,600 pesos. I guess traffic was good as the driver took the expressway instead of side streets.

I had lunch again in Sarku’s – teriyaki chicken and a Pepsi for 37,700 pesos.

The Servibanca ATM didn’t work so I withdrew 2 million pesos from Davivienda. I went down to Urbania and had a latte for about 90 minutes. Teresa called and asked me to pick up blueberries in Exito.  In Exito I bought 3 boxes of blueberries (pay for 2, take 3), 4 apples, a can of pasta sauce, and a large package of mozzarella cheese and returned to the apt by taxi.

It was another warm day today – maybe we’ll have a summer this year after all.

I heard from Glenn – he’s still in Florida and has someone with him because he keeps falling. ☹ I’ll learn more when he returns to Medellin.

I watched a little news then started my pre-sleep reading.

 

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FUNNY

 

Monday, May 25, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 3am, fell back asleep quickly, vaguely aware of waking up once 5ish, finally waking/getting up at 6:45am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 1,242 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 8 hours and 11 minutes. Before the interface changed, I thought it was underrepresenting my sleep duration, now it might be overrepresenting it.

I tried taking a 20-minute nap after breakfast but couldn’t fall asleep. I left the apt at 9am and of course found Smartfit not very busy. Today I added 5# to the Abdominal Crunch and Back Extension machines and completed 18 minutes on the treadmill with a final 119bpm heartrate.

I had my usual latte (& banana) in Ganso y Castor. Teresa called at 10:30 and asked me to return to the apt ASAP because she needs to get a pair of pajamas to her mom. I did, showered, and we took a Didi to Clinica Las Vegas for 8,925 pesos. She had on a facemask and was allowed inside but I had to wait outside.

I guess the people you see here are either: waiting for a loved one to come out or awaiting triage.

Teresa returned a half hour later and I ordered a Didi to take us to El Tesoro mall for 10,440 pesos.

After a short wait we had lunch in Crepes & Waffles. Teresa had the salad bar and a Volcan Caribe (whatever that was) while I had the chicken and cheese crepe and we shared a bottle of water for 99,500 pesos ($27).

A little late I realized today is Memorial Day in the US.

We went up to floor 13 in Medical Tower #1 and waited about an hour for Dr. Castanos office to open. I got the medical order for my PSA test and my rescheduled appointment will be on June 12^th but she will call me with the time; Obviously I’m on standby.

We took the stairs down a floor to Dr. Rendon’s office. We had a short wait then I got my teeth cleaned. I learned he (and his family) loved their trip to Austin, Texas last December. He bought a piece of property as an investment in a not so nice area that is expected to improve in the future and they will add an Airbnb. They just got back from a week trip to Spain and they plan on going to Japan in September. My exam and teeth cleaning was 280,000 pesos. Teresa got her teeth cleaned and an x-ray and her charge was 320mil.

We took a taxi to Gardenia in Envigado but found it was closed for a special event so we went to Otra Parte where we each had an apple crumb pastry with a latte. We left at 6pm and returned to the apt.

I watched a little of The Rachel Maddow Show then started my pre-sleep reading.

 

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FUNNY

 

BOB BURFORD

Zoot Sims, "Jitterbug Waltz." 

Just imagine being a young teen and being able to go to the Crystal Palace Ballroom and hang out with the gods of jazz and the sidemen the likes of Zoot Sims, Les Brown, Stan Kenton, Lionel Hampton, Ralph Marterie, and on and on. The 1950's was functionally the end of touring big jazz bands.

Sunday, May 24, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 11:30 (it was raining lightly), fell back asleep quickly, got up again at 4:45, drifted in and out of consciousness, finally getting up at 7:15.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 6,806 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 6 hours and 54 minutes. ☹

It’s a nice, bright, sunny day.

Our plan was to go to El Retiro today, but then…

Teresa talked to someone then reported MT is in Clinica Las Vegas – she has a gallstone. They gave her medicine so she’s no longer in pain.

Anna Cramling won her chess match against Odin, a grandmaster:

11:30 update: MT’s going in for surgery. Her daughter Nydia is with her and there isn’t room for any other visitors.

1:20 update: She’s out of surgery, doing well, not in any pain, heading back to her apt.

At 2pm I had a Didi take us to Rocoto, the Peruvian restaurant, in the Provenza neighborhood of Poblado for 15,300 pesos.

Teresa ordered a beef special the waitress touted and I the Arroz Chaufa Pollo (chicken with rice) and we shared a bottle of water. Teresa really didn’t like her beef, so much that she said something to the waitress and they gifted us a free dessert. The total check with tip came to 172,520 pesos ($46.50).

We left at 3:45 and returned to the apt by Didi for 13,400 pesos.

I watched 60 Minutes, a repeat, finished The Man in the High Castle, then watched the first episode of The Handmaid’s Tale (8.3).

I finished reading John Grisham’s book of short stories Ford County.

 

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FUNNY

Saturday, May 23, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10:15, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 2:15, fell back asleep quickly, finally waking up at 5:45 and getting up at 6:15

According to my Fitbit, I got in 6,488 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 5 hours and 12 minutes. ☹

I left the apt at 8;30 and still arrived 10 minutes early for my haircut so I had a short wait. Daniel informed me he will be on vacation June 24^th to July 7^th in Barranquilla but my next haircut is scheduled for June 20^th so I’m okay. I confirmed my haircut is still 45,000 pesos and I tipped him 5,000 pesos.

I stopped nearby and printed the 3 pages of my training schedule for The Simplified Chess Improvement System. Apparently, the store rents DVDs as I saw these on the wall:

Today, for a change, I didn’t need to stop at Todo Drogas (have all I need for the next 4 weeks) so I followed google maps to walk to La Buena Mesa – took 12 minutes with only a couple turns. I bought a still slightly green banana and had a latte in Ganso y Castor. Anna Cramling is ahead in her match 2 ½ to ½ after 3 rounds. Besides rating points there’s a $10,000 pot at stake. I left at 11am and bought a few items in Ara before returning to the apt.

I left the apt at 2pm and had a latte in Los Porteños for a couple hours. On the way back to the apt I bought a bag of milk in Ara but they didn’t have the brand of arepas that Teresa prefers.

We left the apt at 6;15 and took a Didi to Mayorca mall where we met Esmeralda and Alejandro in Crepes & Waffles for supper. I went to show Alejandro my Fitbit app and the interface has changed – it’s going to take a little while for me to get used to the new one. I asked him about setting up passkeys on my laptop and after a little discussion I think we’ll wait until I get my new bank account set up in September. I had a waffle with 4 different sauces and a large scoop of ice cream.

Supper was 149,350 pesos ($40) and we went up a level to Dollar City where the ladies purchased a few things.

They went to their moto while we went downstairs and caught a taxi back to our apt.

I took my evening pills and started my pre-sleep reading.

 

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FUNNY

 

Friday, May 22, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at midnight, fell back asleep quickly, finally waking up at 4:45 and getting up at 5:30.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 5,614 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 3 hours and 15 minutes. ☹

I had about an hour nap after breakfast and now my Fitbit says, I slept for 4 hours and 32 minutes.

I left at 8:30 and found Smartfit busier than usual but it thinned out by 9am. At one point Daniel came up to me and lamented that he’s lost 3 chess games to me. I didn’t have any comeback other than “necessita juego mas”. A t-shirt I spotted in the gym:

I completed my workout including 18 minutes on the treadmill with a final heartrate of 115 bpm.

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor for about 90 minutes. Today the little store across the way didn’t have any bananas, none ripe at least. Maybe tomorrow when I come back from getting a haircut.

Annie James playing peekaboo with her father:

I watched some of WFM Anna Cramling (2083) playing the first round of a 7-round match against GM Odin Blikra (2120). Today she won with the White pieces.

We left the apt at 2:30 and met her friend Lucy at the library. They went outside while I stayed inside near the fan. I went through a chess book.

We left at 4:30 and returned to the apt.

I watched another episode of The Man in the High Castle, The Chris Hayes Show then started my pre-sleep reading.

 

 

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FUNNY

 

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10:15, took a while to fall asleep, got up once at 3am, 40 minutes later I was still awake so I got up and read for 15 minutes, returned to bed, fell back asleep and woke up naturally at 7am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 6,530 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 4 hours and 48 minutes. 😊

Annie James official 8-month photo, a couple days late:

Teresa returned from the gym at 8am and made my breakfast. She left at 9am for Viva Envigado to have breakfast with a girlfriend and I was just a few minutes behind her. I recycled a large pill container then went to Urbania for a latte. Do you think they could have filled this a little more?

You certainly get your money’s worth here in Colombia.

About noon Teresa texted me she’d be going to El Hueco with her girlfriend. I left and picked up oranges and eggs in Exito before returning to the apt by taxi.

I packed my laptop, left the apt at 1:45 and walked to Clap Burger where I had a burger, fries and a Coke for 45,000 pesos. (Next time I need to remember to bring my own mustard.)

I moved to Gardenia where I set up my laptop and started The Simplified Chess Improvement System, previously called Next Level Training. It took me some time to figure out which email address I registered with and had to set up a new password. Teresa joined me by 4:30; strangely, she didn’t want anything other than a glass of water. We left at 5:30 and returned to the apt.

I checkmated Troyclough in 32 moves increasing my rating to 1510.

We had some rain in the evening but it stopped just before I went to bed.

I watched another episode of The Man in the High Castle, The Chris Hayes Show then started my pre-sleep reading.

 

RELEASE ALL THE EPSTEIN FILES NOW!

 

FUNNY