Tuesday, November 12th, 2013

Last night Netflix took me to the previous episode of Sleeper Cell that I’ve already seen so I guess it’s over.  I checked Homeland again and it only shows 1 season available; the one I’ve already seen.  Now I’m going to try Lie to Me - another series that Bob recommended.  According to IMDB Lie to Me is a 2009 TV series of 47 episodes starring Tim Roth.  I think I remember him costarring in another TV series but I don’t remember its name.  I think he played the husband of a woman (a blond actress with a famous actress sister) who had something like ESP and was helping the police.  I watched episode 1 – the Pilot episode of Lie to Me.  Interesting.

After thinking more about the woman I saw last week in the white hoodie she had darker skin, somewhere between a nice tan and black, than the woman I saw last night.

I went to bed at 11pm, and had a lot of trouble getting to sleep.  I looked at my watch I keep next to the bed at 12:30 and 2:30 and got up once more after that for a trip to the bathroom.  It must have been all the caffeine (coffee, soda & tea) I had yesterday or, more specifically, last night.  To top that off I was awakened at 5:55 my Lionel’s radio.  I finally got up at 6:25.  I don’t feel too bad but I took 2 Excedrin Migraine anyway to help counteract any sleep deprived effects.  (I wonder if it would have helped had I taken one before going to bed.)  I’m probably going to need a nap as soon as Olga leaves today.  

I left the apartment at 7:30, walked south down Carrera 83A, and then east to Panaderia Los Mejores.  I only had 100 pesos (5 cents) in change but I did have a 1mil coin so I gave both of them to the homeless man who obviously recognized me.  I ordered the Café con leche oscuro and the lady (one I had never seen before) was putting too much milk in it and another lady (that has helped me several times before) caught her and had her change it to the way I like.  As I was finishing my croissant and coffee one of the ladies came out, sat right next to me, gave me a big beautiful smile and stared into my eyes.  About all I understood from her initial question was “United States” so I said, “yes, Chicago, United States”.  In the 5 minutes or so she sat next to me she learned: I don’t have a wife, I’m now living in Medellin, I’ve been here 9 months and I’m happy here.  I should have asked what her name is but I guess I was too shocked that she approached me instead of the other way around.  I guess Colombian women can be forward.  I looked back at the counter and I saw that they didn’t have any customers.  I don’t remember seeing that before.  I guess she took advantage of that opportunity to come talk to me.  Timing is everything.

I left just after 8am and stopped at Likkes to tell them I need 2 lunches brought to my apartment around noon.  I stopped next door, at Redd’s, and bought a large fresh squeezed orange juice for 2mil.  As I was taking the crossover to Exito a young lady recognized me.  It was Laura the office manager of A Foreign Affair when I visited Medellin for the first time in June of 2012.  (That’s another interesting story I haven’t shared publicly as yet; I do have notes on that trip that I could add as a separate blog.)  She must be about 23 years old, attractive, with a nice figure.  She said she gave up working for AFA this past January; it was too stressful doing that and also studying.  I believe she said she was studying hospitalization.  She learned from me that: I have been here 9 months, I broke up with my girlfriend Reina, and I’m happy here.  (Laura even remembered Reina’s name.)  She lives in Belén, a barrio a little south of Simon Bolivar – near Calle 30.  She asked for a piece of paper to exchange email addresses but I gave her my cell phone and she entered her number.

Once again, “timing is everything”.  If I had been a little earlier or a little later I would have missed her.

At Exito I bought a standard letter sized notebook for 10,700 ($5.63) and another package of Trident gum.  I decided I need a larger notebook for studying Spanish at home.  

Olga showed up at 8:55 this morning.  I gave her the note she gave me last week, along with 10mil and I sent her to Exito to buy what she needed: Ekono Cleans & Disinfects for 4,680 ($2.46) and Sanpic Antibacterial something or other for 1,520 (80 cents).

Olga told me via computer:

Spanish: mi hijo estudia ingenieria en sistemas y programas. yo lo saque sola adelante por que al papa lo asesinaron. yo tenia siete mes es de en barazo.  y ora estudio.

English (translated): my son is studying in systems and software engineering. I pull alone out by that Pope was killed. I had seven months is in pregnancy. study and pray.

I understand her son is studying systems and software engineering and his father was killed when she was 7 months pregnant with him.

About 11am some workers showed up and the I believe the one I’ve seen here most often showed the other one that the patching job he did on the wall isn’t good enough.  They also looked at the door again and discussed the situation.

Olga finished at 1:30 and it just started raining right when she was leaving.  It poured pretty hard for about 5 minutes.

At 2:15 I passed Jhon’s office and he was working with a young boy.  I invited him for a drink later but he informed me that Tuesday is his date night.

I sat at the corner store for a while drinking a small bottle of water and reading my Nook book.  

About 4pm I stopped at the ATM for a little cash.  It’s nice that the currency exchange rate is back over 1900 again.  I ran into Gloria on my way back and made a date for lunch for Friday at 2pm at Mall de Laureles.

I had a ham sandwich with Integral bread and 16oz Coke at Subway for 10,800 ($5.68) from 4:30 to 5pm.  I looked up Integral and it means whole grain.  Sounds like a healthy choice to me.  I took my medicine at 5:30.

I stopped at the apartment, dropped off my hat and sunglasses and headed to Fresco Pan.  I had a cup of coffee from the cute young waitress; finished Tom Clancy’s Patriot Games and started Geoffrey Gray’s SkyJack: The Hunt for D.B. Cooper.  Both The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games were made into movies and the ending was different in both.  Of course in the movies they have to have a more dramatic ending with Jack Ryan looking more the hero.

I’ve noticed whenever you order coffee here in Medellin; it doesn’t matter if it’s Tinto or Café con leche they invariably bring you 3 tubes of sugar. 

Church ended at 7pm tonight and people started coming into the bakery so I headed back to the apartment.

I got an email from Amazon that Chess Tactics for the Tournament Player (Third Edition) was undeliverable.  I’m going to set up an account with Mail Boxes etc. to have my mail delivered to them.  I think it only costs $14 a month.

At 7:45 it started raining lightly.

All in all I think 11-12-13 was a pretty successful day with the ladies.  Lol.