Thursday, October 31st, 2013

Happy Halloween!

Last night I watched the 1^st episode of the second season of Sleeper Cell.

I went to bed at 11pm and had great difficulty getting to sleep.  (Was it because of the coffee?)  The last time I looked at my watch it was 3am!  I finally woke/got up at 6:30.

I had a café con leche and croissant at Los Mejores bakery at 7:45am.  I was at Exito when they opened at 8:30 where I bought a bag of candy for 27mil (expensive!) and a package of gum for 2,120.  The bag of candy consists of 48 small chocolate candy bars, 24 chocolate “bubbles” and 48 smaller chocolate spheres covered in aluminum foil to look loike soccer balls.  On the way back home I ran into Jhon on his way to his office and he suggested I sit at the corner store tonight to hand out my candy.

I took a little nap from 9:15 to 10:15.

I checked my checking account and my Social Security deposit was there so I sent a check for my rent to my landlord in Miami.

I ordered a gift card to Forever 21 to be delivered to my daughter – her birthday is Monday, December 4^th so it should get there just about on time.

Lunch was a small hotdog 4,900 and large Pepsi 3,200 at Dogger’s.

I was at Dario’s apartment building by 2pm.  This time I left my scorebook and chess clock at home.  He was beating me positionally and then was up a little materially but I finally beat him in the endgame.  If I had been in time trouble at the end it might have turned out differently.

After playing a couple more games with Carlos, one of his pupils, I left and found Bob at the Tinto store and we chatted a little.  I met a man from Norway named Ari but he goes by Harry.  He lived in Spain for 9 years and has a Colombian wife.  About 5pm I left for Viva where I had a chicken Subway sandwich for 7mil and a small strawberry shake from Burger King for 5,400.  In the mall there were a lot of little kids walking around in costume.

By 6pm I was sitting at the corner store handing out candy.  There were a lot of kids walking by and I started handing out the candy bars, then the large chocolate bubbles and finally several of the soccer balls.  Here they don’t say “trick or treat” it sounds like a chant that is something like “I want…, I want…, I want…, please!”  I’ll have to ask Jhon tomorrow what it is.  The best costumes I saw were identical - worn by 2 older teenaged boys.  They wore Depends and gym shoes and nothing else and carried teddy bears.  At least they had nice bodies where they could get away with that.

 

Wednesday, October 30th, 2013

Last night I arrived at Sport Wings about 6:45 for the 7pm Chicago Bulls vs Miami Heat game.  I told them the game was on TNT but it (probably Colombian TNT) was showing a movie.  By 7:05pm it was obvious it wasn’t going to be over soon so they started searching other channels.  

When we finally appeared to find it there was like a Sports Center (Latin America style) desk with 2 men and a woman discussing the two teams.  Of course, there was no sound as the restaurant always plays Colombian music.  About 7:15 the game finally started.

I ordered the Wings & Ribs x 6 Combo for 29,900 pesos ($15.74) and my total bill came to 40,060 ($21.08) including 2 Cokes, tip and tax.  It included about 8 chicken legs & wings and 3 large ribs.  At the next table 8 people were celebrating some old man’s (80?) birthday and what was funny is they had what looked like a large bundt cake with a single candle in it shaped like a question mark.  The lady at the end of the table near me offered me a piece but I had just started chewing a piece of mint gum and I knew I wouldn’t have enjoyed the cake. 

I left early as the Bulls were losing by 20 points.  (Final was 107-95).

I watched episode 10, the final episode, of the 1^st season of Sleeper Cell.  It is a very good series, I just wish the sound was better and I could see all of the English translations.

I went to bed at 11:15, got up once about 5am and woke/got up at 7:15.

I needed to take a little money out of my checking account and also buy some candy at Exito for Halloween tomorrow.  Passing by Exito the store was mobbed.  (Gloria told me when I had lunch with her that Wednesday, today, was going to be crazy because it’s the first day of Exito’s big monthly sale.  I got the flyer yesterday but the only thing in it I’m going to need is Suave Gold toilet paper and there’s no big hurry for that.)

Going down the escalator I saw armed guards with shotguns and a huge revolver coming up.  I’m sure they must be carrying a large amount of cash.  I stopped at my usual Davivienda ATM but when I put my debit card in there was no English option.  I switched to the ATH ATM and it had an English option and also gave me my money in small 20mil bills.  (One problem I occasionally have is getting a 50mil bill and trying to use it for a small purchase somewhere.)

I had the Bunuelo Express breakfast in Mall de Laureles for 4,900 pesos.

About 9:30 I returned to Exito and it was even busier.  I stopped at Jhon’s office on the way back and chatted with him a bit.  He mentioned that Bob needs to commit to Patricia completely and get an apartment with her.

From time to time I get text messages in Spanish, usually of a news nature – I guess courtesy of my Claro service.  One I received today said that in 2014 the minimum wage should be 612,500 pesos ($322.37).

Today I walked down to McDonald’s on Nutibara Avenue and used one of my bottle tops to got a free Kit Kat McFlurry (regularly 5,900; $3.11) with my McNifti hamburger Combo 13,500 ($7.11).  It rained for about 15 minutes while I was there.  Both ways, to and from McDonald’s, I passed through Viva Mall but I didn’t see Gloria.  On the way back I did see long lines of grocery carts waiting for a taxi.

Back at the corner store I had an orange juice ($1) while I read some of my Nook book.  I called Dario and he said he should be available for chess at his apartment building tomorrow.  What he doesn’t know is that I’m not going to bring my score pad or my clock so there won’t be any restrictions on my time.

In Rosetta Stone I’m currently working on Level 2, Unit 1, Lesson 3 – Writing.  After 6 attempts over the last 2 days I’ve improved my score from 33% to 73%.  I should have this one completed soon.

Dinner was the small chicken shish kebab and mango juice at Sanjote in Mall de Laureles for 9,800 ($5.16).

I finished reading the 700 page Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy and I started reading his first book The Hunt for Red October.  Of course I’ve seen the movie so it makes it easy to picture things as they happen in the book.

I looked for Gloria, with no luck, as I passed through the lower level of Viva Mall.  Just before 8pm and Exito was still packed with people.  As I was walking out the front entrance I was looking for the mystery woman in the food court.  When I turned around there was Gloria with a young man who was pushing a few of Exito’s shopping carts back towards the mall.  I had been waiting all day to tell her the two new words of Spanish that I had memorized for her – “be strong”.  Right after that I saw Franklin in the food court and waved at him.  

As I walked past the corner store I was surprised to see A/N playing – I didn’t think they had another game until Sunday.  They were losing 1-0.  As I walked up towards the bakery Paisa Pan I was almost dive bombed by a bat.  A woman standing on a balcony above me saw it and said something.  I heard a loud cheer and I checked at the store and sure enough A/N had scored and it was now 1-1.  

I had a café con leche and pastry with arquipe inside for 1,500 pesos (79 cents) at Paisa Pan while I continued reading my book using my iPad.  At 8pm, 45 minutes after finishing dinner, I took my medicine.  From the bakery I could see the name of the store near Bob’s hostel – it’s called Salsamentaria Bolivar.  I looked up the meaning of salsamentaria and it says “pork butcher”.  Very interesting.

At 8:20 they were closing the bakery so I left and noticed at the store across the street that A/N was now losing 2-1.  A few minutes later as I was approaching my apartment I heard a cheer so A/N may have tied it up.

Tuesday, October 29th, 2013

Last night I watched episode 9 of Sleeper Cell.

I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 4:05am, and finally woke/got up at 6:45am.

Breakfast was the usual café con leche and croissant at Los Mejores bakery for $1.  I stopped at Likkes and ordered 2 lunches for us at approximately noon.

The thought occurred to me that if Beatriz wanted to be a real “bitch” she could call and cancel Olga from coming to my apartment for my biweekly cleaning.  About 9am there was a man here from EPM looking at the utility meters.  Olga finally showed up at 9:18.  Whew!  This time I was smarter and we exchanged cell phone numbers.

The Chicago Bulls, with a new and improved Derrick Rose, open their season against the Miami Heat at 7pm tonight on TNT.  I used Viber on my iPad to ask Bob if he would like to join me to watch the game at Sport Wings.

At 11:20 2 workers came in and looked at the balcony door.  One was Jamie’s son and the other one I had seen many times before.  They tried unsuccessfully to remove the door.  I think Jamie wanted to show the other worker the problem with the door.  I understand they are going to wait until they receive a new wheel for it.

Laura brought our lunch from Likkes just before noon.  I’ve learned a little more from Jhon about Laura: she’s 19 years old, her mother is Colombian and is the cook at Likkes and her father is black.

Olga finished up at 2pm.  Besides cleaning the apartment she also: washed and hung up to dry 4 of my t-shirts and a pair of jeans; took down, washed, dried, and rehung my curtains.

I found Bob at the corner store and I sat and talked to him while I had a Postobon (local soft drink) and then a cup of coffee from across the street at the Tinto store.  Maria, the owner and Patricia’s sister, is 40 today.  Bob recently found out that Patricia’s real first name is Olga.  I invited him to join me for the basketball game tonight but he said he is probably going out to dinner with Peaches.  Last night they had a nice dinner at a Mexican restaurant on Calle 35 2-3 blocks east of Avenida 80.

I plan to leave about 6:30 to see the Bulls game at Sport Wings.

Monday, October 28th, 2013

Last night I was at the corner store just before 5:30 and there were plenty of seats available.  The place filled up as I sat there although there were still a couple of chairs left at halftime when I left with Chica ahead of A/N 1-0.  I had a café con leche and ham & cheese pastry up the street at the Fresco Pan bakery for $1.  One of today’s church sessions let out across the street about 7pm and I didn’t want to hog a table since I had finished eating so I left and headed back to the apartment.  As I passed another store I noted the score was still 1-0 but I heard a lot of cheering from the direction of the stadium by the time I got to my apartment.  

I took my medicine right away and then watched Episode 8 of Sleeper Cell.  I’m having a little problem “hearing” when they are speaking in Arabic.  I get the English translation in subtitles but on top of those it’s in Spanish so I can’t see the English.  I think I get the Spanish because my laptop’s IP address says I’m in Colombia.  One of the Colombia Expats posted information as to how to switch one’s IP address from Colombia to the US.  I think I’ll explore that further.

I found a small lizard about 2” long, caught him and set him outside on the balcony railing.

I went to bed at 10pm, got up once during the night, woke up at 4:40am and got up at 5am.  I did my exercises, took my shower and still was at the juice stand on Carrera 84 by 6am.  Alberto finally opened at 6:30 and he confirmed today IS NOT a holiday.  However, next Monday IS a holiday – something about honoring the sons of Colombia and the following Monday IS also a holiday – Independence of Cartagena from the Spanish.

I nursed a large orange juice for 2,500 pesos ($1.32) until 7:30.  No sign of the “mystery woman”; did I mention that this is my new name for her?  For my breakfast, at the Paisa Pan on San Juan (Calle 44) I had 2 donuts with arequipe inside and 2 cups of coffee for 3,400 pesos ($1.79).

Using my magicJack I called Apple and confirmed that I did purchase iTunes Match but the reason it didn’t show up on my debit card is because they charged it to a gift card I had associated with my account.

I called my dentist in Northbrook, IL and talked to Vickie his receptionist.  I mentioned I got 2 crowns for $500 each and she said that they charge $1400 for a crown.  Wow, I guess I did get a good deal.

About 10:45 I stopped in Viva and found Gloria right away and invited her to lunch but today is her birthday and her company is taking her to lunch.  I decided to stay in ML for a while and then go to McDonald’s to use one of my bottle tops for a free McFlurry when I buy a Combo meal.  I bought a bottle of water but then I spotted Franklin at one of the side tables.  I invited him to play chess and we didn’t finish until 3pm.  (About 2pm I bought a Pepsi and a large bag of potato chips that I shared with my opponent.)  I’m not even sure how many games we played – 9 or 11 but I won them all.

When I left I walked through Viva but no sign of Gloria so I stopped at the Tinto store where I spent a couple hours with Bob and Peaches.  I believe she was cutting Sim cards to fit in his cell phone.

When I left I stopped across the street (kiddie corner from the corner store) and bought a nice ripe banana for 100 pesos (5 cents).

Dinner tonight was a Whopper and small strawberry shake from Burger King.

 

Sunday, October 27th, 2013

Last night I watched episode 7 of Sleeper Cell.

Since about 8pm there’s what sounds like a high school band playing around the corner.  They stopped right at 11pm but that’s when the fireworks started.  They sounded like cherry bombs but they stopped too after about 15 minutes.

I went to bed at 11:30pm, got up once at 3am, woke up at 6:20 and finally got up at 7pm.  It’s an overcast morning and it was misting so I took my umbrella as I left my apartment.

At 8:15 I was having my usual café con leche and croissant at the Calle 35 bakery for $1.  This time I paid attention to its name – Panadería Los Mejores.  “Panadería” is Spanish for bakery and “mejor” means better so this translates to “Best Bakery”.  I’ll try to remember the name for future mentions.  As I was walking the last block back to my apartment it started raining harder – glad I brought my umbrella.  The forecast for today is a high of 82 degrees with a 60% chance of showers.  If it rains like this most of the day we’ll never hit 82 degrees, but I’m not complaining.

Back at the apartment I checked my garage and found 2 pieces of mail – both payment stubs for my little Sears pension – one for September postmarked August 28^th and one for October postmarked September 24^th.

This is a bye week for my Chicago Bears.  They need it since Jay Cutler, our starting quarterback, is expected to be out 4 weeks or so with a groin injury.

I put on a long sleeved shirt and just before noon I found Bob at the Tinto store where Gonzalo was playing American music including Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams and Hawaiian music.  I asked him if he’s going to see Peaches today and he said he doubted it because she’s moving.  I asked him why he’s not helping her move and he said “because she didn’t ask me”.  I asked why he didn’t offer to help her and he said “because I didn’t want too”.  Okay.  Gonzalo keeps feeling my shirt between his thumb and index finger and making gestures like he loves the material.  While I was there I tried a small bottle of a drink they call Pony Malt that I had wanted to try.  It tasted like cough medicine with a hint of molasses.

I left about 1pm and had a Hamburger Combo #3 at Gordog’s in Mall de Laureles for 10,500 pesos.

Not only did it stop raining but by the early afternoon it had cleared up and I actually felt some warmth.

A/N is playing tonight at 5:30 so I’ll probably meet Bob at the corner store.

Saturday, October 26th, 2013

Last night I went to bed at 11:15, got up once during the night and finally woke/got up at 7am, feeling good!

I had breakfast at the Golden Palermo hotel from about 8:30 to 10am.  Walking through Mall de Laureles I ran into Franklin and we made a date to meet today at 4pm to play chess.  Walking through the lower level of Viva Mall I saw Gloria but I’m not sure if she saw me.

At 10:15 I stopped at the Tinto store when I saw Bob there.  (Gonzolo, who is part owner of the Tinto store, mentioned he’s 67 years old but I think he looks a lot older!  Bob says it’s because he drinks so much rum.)  At one point a woman walked by that he thought was gorgeous but who didn’t seem special to me at all!  Gonzolo needed something from Bob so the two of them went to find Jhon so Bob can find out what he wants.  

Back at my apartment I took a nap from 11:45 to 12:30 and then completed another lesson in Rosetta Stone.

Well, my lunch didn’t exactly go as planned!  

 At 2pm I was sitting in the Exito “kitchen” waiting for Gloria.  While I was waiting I tried, unsuccessfully, to get a Wi-Fi connection.  About 2:10 I called her and asked where she was.  The only thing I understood was Exito and “information” so I said, “ok” and I walked to the other end of the store to the information booth.  I walked around the area for a couple minutes but still didn’t see her.  Just as I was calling her for a 2^nd time she showed up.  

We walked into the food court area and she headed right for the deli (another Kitchens of Exito) at the far end (where I never eat).  About the only thing that looked appetizing there were small pans of lasagna.  She took me to something that looked like rice and meat mixed together and said it was “carne con” something or other.  I told her it wasn’t for me and we ended up each ordering the Chicken Combo #2 at Frisby for 34,200 pesos total ($18).  (She mentioned she didn’t like the chicken teriyaki at Sarku’s.)  While we were waiting, again I wasn’t able to get a Wi-Fi connection.  Sigh!  I paid attention to her height as I was standing next to her and my best guess is she’s about 5’1”.  She loves Frisby’s cole slaw as much as I do.  They are fast eaters in Colombia and she finished all her food while I was only half done.  She also told me she only has 1 hour for lunch not 2 as I assumed.  The conversation was real basic since we didn’t have a lot of time and we could only communicate in my basic Spanish.  She said she loved my blue eyes.  I tried to convince her they are green but she insisted they are blue.  I invited her to meet me after work for some ice cream but she said she had to get home to her daughter.  She told me it takes her 2 hours and 4 buses to get to and from work.  Wow!  

Realistically, though I think she’s real cute, we’re probably just going to be friends.  When I don’t have anyone else in my life I’ll ask her out (on Thursdays).

Just after 3pm I was at Mall de Laureles and luckily Franklin showed up early at 3:30.  From then until about 6pm we played 4 games of chess and I won them all.

I cut through Viva on my way back but I didn’t see Gloria.  I stopped at Fresco Pan and had a ham and cheese pastry and coffee for my dinner for 2mil.  At one point Jhon walked by and asked why I didn’t say “hi”.  I told him I didn’t even see him but he said I looked directly at him.  I asked him why he thought I was looking at him since he was walking with a pretty young lady.  (And that’s the truth!)  

Bob stopped by a few minutes later and I told him about my lunch with Gloria but he left after a while to meet Peaches (Patricia).  

Walking back to my apartment I passed Beatriz walking with her manicure/pedicure case and she didn’t say “hi” or even look at me.

 

Friday, October 25th, 2013

2 months from today is Christmas.

Last night I went to bed at 10:30, fell asleep rather quickly and didn’t wake up until 5:30.  I got up at 6:15, took my shower and was at the juice stand on Avenida 84 by 6:43 where I had another large orange juice for 2,500 pesos.  School must start at 7am as I saw a lot of girls walking north on Avenida 84 in their school uniforms – navy blue or navy blue and red plaid skirts.

I left at 8am and had my usual coffee & croissant breakfast at the Calle 35 bakery – darn, I forgot to look for the name of the place on their baseball caps.  Jhon’s office was still closed when I walked by at 8:45.

I checked the new movie releases in the US and I didn’t see anything I’m interested in.

Just after 10am I was in the lower level of Viva where I spotted Gloria walking around with her clipboard taking care of some things.  Finally I motioned her over and she said hello and shook my hand.  Using the Translator app on my iPad I told her “My dentist wanted me to come to his office yesterday at 3:30.  I asked him to reschedule it so we could go to the movie yesterday.  He rescheduled it for today at 11:30.  Are you available for lunch tomorrow?  If so, what time, noon?  I’ll bring this iPad so we can talk using its translator.”

She told me she would be available for lunch at 2pm so I told her I would meet her in the Exito cafeteria.  

About 10:20 I was on a Circular 302 bus to Monterey.  I was at the dentist’s office by 11am, 30 minutes early.  Since my iPad includes a camera I took this picture of Dr. Jorge Alberto Rendón Franco (dentist and Endodontist) and his lovely young assistant Natalia.  

After finally getting my 2 permanent crowns I left there about noon and walked up to the FFSS.  On the way I saw what looked like the largest katydid I’ve ever seen just sitting on the sidewalk.  I tried to pick it up by grasping its wings but it seemed to rake me with its legs and I let go and it flew across the street to the “forest”.  Afterwards I thought that I should have taken a picture of it with my iPad camera.

For lunch I had a hamburger for 13mil which included chips and a Coke plus a second Coke to ward off the heat.  While there I chatted with David, from Kentucky, who I’ve met before.  He mentioned that he watches sports using FirstRowSports.EU.  I asked the waitress how to order a hamburger medium but with no blood and she said to try either “dos quartos” or “tres quartos”.  Here’s the FFSS menu boards:

On the way to Monterey C.C. I decided to check out some restaurants to see if they carry ESPN2.  Patria Mia does not have ESPN2 but it does have ESPN +, 1 & NFL channel.  Al Rojo might have ESPN2.  Hooters does have ESPN2.  I also noticed that the restaurant where I originally met my first expats on June 23rd 2012, LeBon Cafe, has changed and its now a Beer Store.  

I caught the Circular 303 bus at Monterey and was back at Exito before 3pm.

About 6pm I went to Viva Mall with the intention of getting a ham sandwich from Subway but the line was so long I decided instead to get a FriBurrito for 5,900 ($3.11) and small strawberry milkshake for 7,500 ($3.95) from Frisby.

I watched the Medellin futbol game with Bob hoping that Gloria might stop by after work but she didn’t.  I wouldn’t be able to talk to her anyway but it would still be nice to have seen her.

Thursday, October 24th, 2013

Last night I watched episode 5 of Sleeper Cell.  I have trouble hearing all the dialogue because I don’t think they have the microphones positioned properly.

I got an email from Dr. Franco and my new appointment is Friday at 11:30am.

As planned, I had a coffee with ham and cheese pastry at Fresco Pan.  This particular one is shaped like a large slice of pizza and looks like it has pepperoni and pineapple inside.  (30 minutes later I took my medicine.)

Afterwards I met Bob and Jhon at the Tinto store where Jhon told me he said something to Beatriz which was why she was at my apartment earlier.  But what I had told Jhon that he relayed to Beatriz was old news; before the breakup.  He recommended I talk to her to try to stay at least friends so there isn’t so much coldness between us. 

About 8:20 Gloria showed up with a girlfriend, she told Bob she’s looking forward to our date tomorrow and then they went across the street and got a drink to go. 

One of the whistle guys is always kidding with Bob, trying to steal his cigarette lighter or tablet computer.  While he was in the store I took his bicycle and rode around the neighborhood.  That got a big laugh out of everyone.  Bob said I’m too serious and should do goofy things like that more often.

I finally left just after 9pm.

I went to bed at 10:45 and had great difficulty getting to sleep.  The last time I checked my watch it was 2am.  I think I may have gotten to sleep about an hour later.  I finally woke/got up at 7am.

At 8:30 I was at the Fresco Pan bakery but all the tables were taken so I continued on to the bakery on Calle 35 where I had my usual – café con leche and a croissant for $1.

As I was walking back towards my apartment I met Jhon going in the opposite direction.  He asked me to meet him at the corner store in a few minutes.  When he came we went to his office and at 9am John David showed up for his lesson.  We moved back to the corner store where I practiced English with him.  He is doing much better.

At 10am I had Jhon call Gloria where I found out she had to work again today at another Exito to cover for another woman who got sick.  She said she would be back at Exito Laureles tomorrow.  I guess that means I’m on my own today as far as the movie goes and I will try to meet her for lunch tomorrow.  Next Thursday is Halloween so I’m not sure what we will be happening on that day.

John David left just before 11am and I headed back to my apartment to write in my blog and start my Spanish lessons for the day.

I left about 12:30, took the Circular 302 to Monterey, walked up to FFSS and had a sloppy joe (yum) and a Coke for about 15mil.

I took a taxi to Premium Plaza C.C. and arrived there about 2:30 for the 3:25 show.  But first I had to find the theater.  I asked a security guard and he sent me down one hall where I found an information booth.  He certainly should know where it is.  I asked him where the “cine” (theater) is and he didn’t know.  I asked him where the “pelicula” (movie) is and he didn’t know.  Is it my accent?  Does that mean the the theater is near here but not really in the mall?  I walked around the main floor a bit and finally went up to the 2^nd level where I found a sign for “cine”.  I went up one more level and to the other end of the hall and there it was. 

I bought a reserved seat ticket for 7mil ($3.68) and since I still had 40 minutes to kill I walked around a bit.  Ten minutes before showtime I bought a medium popcorn for 7mil and a large soda for 4mil ($2.11) and headed into the theatre.

Captain Phillips, starring Tom Hanks, was very good and not just because he is my favorite actor.  It is a true story and it was made more interesting because I had previosly read No Easy Day - the true story of the training of the navy seals (Seal Team 6) that killed Osama bin Laden.  One negative is that when the Somalis are speaking it was translated into Spanish so I didn’t have an accurate idea of what they were saying.

All day I was thinking I would meet Gloria for lunch tomorrow but I had cancelled today’s appointment with Dr. Franco so I could be with her.  Interestingly my new appointment is 11:30 tomorrow morning so I can’t have lunch with her tomorrow.  I guess I’ll try for Saturday.

I took my medicine at 6:45pm when I got back to my apartment.

I checked USTVNOW and I don’t see anything I would be interested in on TV tonight.

I watched episode 6 of Sleeper Cell.

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013

Last night I went to bed at 11:15 and again had difficulty getting to sleep.  

Why, because I took my medicine a little late, because I had that Coke with Gloria or because I was thinking of her?  When I finally did get to sleep I slept through the night finally getting up at 6:20am.  Today I continued my workout and was out of the apartment by 7:30.  

I walked down Avenida 84 (I said hello to Mary who was walking another dog) to the bakery on Calle 34 and from 7:40 to 8:00 I had a café con leche and my first ham & cheese pastry from there – still 2mil ($1).  I surprised to find it isn’t as good as the one at Fresco Pan by Bob’s hostel.  While I was there the owner of the corner store came and picked up something and took it with her.  She has very big boobs and her nipples were very prominent this morning.  I don’t think she noticed me there; at least she didn’t acknowledge me.  A small pickup truck with INPEC stensiled on the side stopped and a man with police/military garb got out and had breakfast.  In the small bed in the back there were benches down the center facing in opposite directions.  My best guess is it’s used for the transportation of prisoners.  

From 8:15-9am I had a large orange juice at the juice store for 2,500 pesos ($1.32).  I didn’t see the mystery woman but again I saw Mary walking a dog.  I talked to the owner, his name is Alberto and he speaks very good English.  He brought out his dog for me to see – it’s a beautiful 4 year-old husky named Romeo.  His was fortunate to get him for free when someone was moving and had to give him up.  He also told me most people start work between 7am and 8am so I need to get there earlier next time.

I walked down Carrera 84 again and down Bob’s street to the corner store where I thanked the owner for the good words she said to Gloria last night and I put 2mil on both my cell phone and Gloria’s.  They were playing music so I went across the street to the peace and quiet of the Tinto store and ordered a Tinto.  As soon as I started calling Gloria a man named Gonzalo started playing Perry Como music for me.  I normally would appreciate it but the timing certainly could have been better.  I asked Gloria if she could meet me for lunch today but the answer I got wasn’t really a definite “yes” or “no”.  I told her I would talk to her later.  

I stopped at Jhon’s office where he was working with John David and asked him to call her for me.  She said during lunch today she has to attend some kind of a store presentation but she would be available all day tomorrow.  I asked her if she would like to see a movie and she said I should call her tomorrow about 10am.  Jhon told me she seemed to be excited that I called and asked her on a date.

At 10:15 I was at the Internet Café printing a new copy of my chess table info (4 out of the 5 pages needed to be in color) and a copy of the Captain Phillips movie schedule.  The cost was 9mil.

From noon to 12:30 I was with Bob at the Tinto store where I met a pretty 26 year old girl named Tatiana who spoke a little English.  Bob has seen her before; he says she lives in the neighborhood.  I told her that her name, like Olga, is very popular in Russia and her face even looks a little Russian.  Gonzalo told Bob and I to come back tonight because he would be playing American music and making cocktails.

From 1 to 1:45 I was having an Angus Tasty combo at McDonald’s.  I used a Coke bottle cap which discounted it from 18,500 ($9.74) pesos to 13,500 ($7.11).

From 2 to 3:30 I was back at the corner store visiting with Bob and Jhon.  I’ve started drinking more water when I can because all the coffees, sodas and juices I’ve been consuming are putting on a few pounds.

I got an email from Dr. Rendon that my crowns are in and he asked me if I could come in tomorrow at 3:30.  Of course I told him I couldn’t make it tomorrow and would be happy to come in on Friday or another day.

I watched episode 5 of Sleeper Cell.

6:20 and my door bell rings from downstairs.  It’s Beatriz.  I don’t know what she said or what she wanted but I said “no more” and “nothing”.

I’m going to the Fresco Pan bakery and have a light dinner and then to the Tinto store.

Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013

I went to bed at 11pm but had great difficulty getting to sleep.  Is that because: I had a Pepsi with my dinner; I forgot to take my medicine until just before I went to bed; or I couldn’t stop thinking about the “mystery woman”?  It rained for most of the evening which didn’t seem to help things much.  The last time I looked at my watch it was 1:10am so my best guess is I finally got sleep about 2am.  I woke/got up at 7:45 and took a hot shower (YEAH).  I walked up to Carrera 84 and walked down to Calle 35 and down to the bakery where I had my usual café con leche and croissant.  (On my way I passed a small restaurant where they advertise breakfast and lunch for only 2,900 pesos ($1.53).  Jhon told me later it probably doesn’t include any meat.)

I basically retraced my steps on my way back but then cut down the street that Bob’s hostel is on and found him sitting out on the front steps.  He was checking his tablet while I read some more in my Nook.  I asked him again how much he pays for the hostel and he said $10 a day.  When he was ready for his breakfast we went across the street to his bakery, which I found out is named Fresco Pan, where he had his usual – coffee and a ham and cheese pastry.  Bob told me that Sunday night he and Patricia “bonded”, if you know what I mean, so I told him he can relax, she’s obviously made her choice and I’m out of it.  A man Bob knows from the Tinto store stopped by and told him they are having a surprise birthday party next week on Tuesday, October 29^th, for Mary, the owner’s wife.

BTW, Mary is married to an older man who owns the Tinto Store and her sister is Patricia.  Patricia’s son is the gay nephew I mentioned back on September 12^th. And Patricia has one more sister who is 29 and has 2 kids.  So I think that completes the family.

I met Jhon at his office at noon and we went to Exito and I got registered for their points (rewards program).  They gave me a card with a special set of numbers to use for the first month and then I can use my Cedula number.  Jhon and I had lunch at Likkes where we found out they have a new owner but the same workers.  That’s comforting to know!  Jhon told me Beatriz called him to find out what I had to say about the breakup and he told her I hadn’t said anything.  (I think it’s best for him to stay out of this, especially since I consider it to be over!)  

The next lesson (Core Lesson #3) in RS took me 55 minutes to complete but at least I had a score of 99%.  It introduced a lot of new words relating to time and travel.

At 4:20pm I checked my iPad and I have an email, via Facebook, from Beatriz which says “hello, how are you”.  Interesting!

Jhon told me earlier he was going downtown for a meeting but I found Bob at the corner store and he went with me to Fresco Pan where I had a café con leche and ham and cheese pastry for less than 2mil.  Boy does Colombia have good coffee.  Bob was going to meet Patricia to discuss their trip to a finca tomorrow so I stopped at the apartment and since it’s only 76 degrees outside I put on a long sleeved shirt.  Coca Cola has had a promotion where they are giving a lot of discounts and freebies under their bottle caps and I started walking towards McDonald’s to use one of them.  

As I cut through Exito I noticed they now have an entire aisle with Christmas trees, ornaments and decorations next to the aisle for Halloween.  In the lower level I saw the cute lady who assists with the taxis and we exchanged “hellos”.  By the time I got to LM I remembered that everything I could get included a Coke for a drink and I didn’t want any troubles sleeping tonight so I turned around and headed back to Viva.  I sat in their food court until 7:18pm and then I ordered a Whopper and large strawberry milkshake for a total of 16,100 ($8.47).  There was a fat lady sitting in the food court and I realized how rare it is to see a fat person here in Medellin.

I bought a small bucket from Exito, remembering to use my new “points” card, for only 7,900 ($4.16) so I can soak my mop in it in bleach between bi-weekly cleanings.

As usual I used the crossover bridge over Avenida 80 and I stopped for a moment to see if I could see Bob (or maybe Margarita) in Redd’s bar.  As I turned around I saw the woman who works with the taxis in the lower level of Viva Mall.   This is the first time I’ve seen her “out of uniform”; she usually wears sort of a smock or apron.  She said she was going to the store for a coffee and I asked if I could join her.  The Tinto store was closed but she ordered something from the corner store and I said “the same” which turned out to be a Coke.  Oops.  I wasn’t too pleased that she lit up a cigarette and when I asked her about that she said it was because of the stress.  She passed me a note that said “I’m sad” but I didn’t know what it said until I translated it at home later.

Then we started guessing each other’s age.  She told me she is very old!   I didn't believe that so I started at 35 for her and she started at 50 for me.  It turns out she’s 48 years old; unbelievable.  I haven’t had a good look at her figure but she doesn’t seem to have a wrinkle on her face.  Her name is Gloria and she lives with her 16 (?) year old daughter and has a 24 year old son who is married.  She worked for Exito at another location for a year and now this Exito for a year (which is probably how long they’ve been open).  She works every day, including holidays, except Thursday which is her day off, from 10am to 8pm with 2 hours off for lunch from noon to 2pm.  She lives in Itaqui which is quite a ways south of here.  We exchanged cell phone numbers and I asked her if she would like to go to a movie with me on Thursday.  She seemed kind of hesitant so I asked the owner of the store to tell her that I’m a good man.  I don’t know what she said but it sure sounded good and Gloria seemed to be impressed and she said to call her. 

When she had to go I waited with her by the bus stop for a while until finally a friend gave her a ride.  The main reason why I hadn’t asked her out up till now is because I don’t think she’s even 5 feet tall.  That’s a discussion for another time.

When I got home I finally remembered to take my medicine.

Monday, October 21st, 2013

Here’s a picture from yesterday’s 9 month anniversary get-together at Sport Wings.  Behind me are:

1^st row: Patricia, John’s girlfriend, John

2^nd row: Bob, Pablo, Pablo’s girlfriend

 Last night about 6pm I had a café con leche for 1200 (63 cents) and 2 sugar donuts with arequipe for 500 each (26 cents) at the bakery on Calle 44 (San Juan).  The waitress gave me a check with my food and for my donut she wrote “chirr”.  I just checked online and these are indeed “churros”.  I also noticed the name of this bakery is Paisa Pan so I’ll try to remember to use that name from now on.

Back at my apartment I watched the return of Peyton Manning, now with Denver, to Indianapolis.  The Indianpolis Colts won 39-33.  I stopped watching after the 3^rd quarter but I see the Broncos came back in the 4^th quarter outscoring the Colts 16-6.

I finished Stephen King’s 1,236 page book The Stand.  I don’t have to tell you it is long but it is a good read.  I then downloaded my next selection the 700 page book Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy.

I went to bed at 10pm, woke up once during the night, and woke/got up at 6:30.  Again I skipped my workout, had coffee on my balcony and was at the pharmacy at 8am, 30 minutes before their scheduled open.  There was a light mist in the air but I kept pretty dry under an overhang.  I read my Nook until the owner showed up at 8:45.  I asked him if there is a woman working there about 40 years old or so with black hair.  He said the woman who works there is 35 years old but doesn’t have black hair so I guess I struck out.

On my way back I stopped at the bakery and picked up a bag of milk for my breakfast cereal.

I checked the local theaters and Captain Phillips is playing with Spanish subtitles at:

Oviedo at 6:10 and 9pm

Unicentro at 9:10pm.

El Tesoro at 4:10pm and 7:20pm.

Monterrey at 9:30pm.

Premium Plaza at 3:25pm, 6:25pm, and 9:25pm.

I should be hearing from my dentist this week about my permanent crowns so maybe I can combine that appointment with lunch or dinner at FFSS and see a movie at Premium Plaza or El Tesoro.

About 11:30 Jamie’s son, Juan Camilo, stopped by and changed the batteries in my gas hot water heater.  They probably light the gas burners needed to heat the water but these weren’t Duracells, they were “Midi Max” D batteries.  Sounds like a cheap brand to me.  He explained:

“when light is that if there is no hot water no hot water turns
  of the problem you are running does not have enough batteries that are worn ensender fail to fire.
if you see this email anything maldonado114987@hotmail.com
for that and tell me and I can come faster”

the window are around trying to get the wheel that is scarce
juan camilo Resume
touching the door when removing it but still not come to change the wheel”

I understand they are waiting for a wheel that they need to replace on my balcony door to allow it to move smoothly.

I spent some time chatting with Bob this afternoon at the bakery by his hostel where I had a café con leche with a Pan Mariquiteño (like a dinner roll; almost the only thing they have without cheese) for less than 2mil.

Later we moved to the Tinto store where Jhon came by and I told him the mystery lady (my new name for her) doesn’t work at the pharmacy and he explained he never said she worked there but near there.

At 4pm I was sitting at a juice stand on Carrera 84 having a fresh squeezed large Guanabana and a strawberry juice for 2,000 pesos each.  I hung out there until 5:15 but no sight of the mystery lady.  I asked the owner what time he opens in the morning and he said 6am because a lot of people stop for orange juice on their way to work.

Dinner was the double bacon burger special with French Fries and 12 ounce Pepsi at Burger King for 10,900 ($5.74).  I bought a 500gram bag of sugar at Exito for 860 pesos (45 cents).

I met Bob at the Tinto store and when they closed we moved across the street to the corner store where Jhon joined us later.  We mostly talk about women and relationships and live in Colombia.  I am realizing that I made a mistake with Beatriz when I asked her to be my “novia” because that translates to “bride” or “fiancee”.  I should have asked her to be my “compañera” which translates to “girlfriend’.  I knew there would be some communication problems here but I didn’t think they would be so basic.