Friday, April 29th, 2016

Tonight is rounds 2 & 3 of the NFL draft beginning at 7pm ET.

Among today’s new US movie releases, I would like to see A Beautiful Planet (9.6).  Locally, there isn’t anything I want to see.

I forgot to mention that I found my Safeway Dill Pickle Chips at Exito last night.  Yay!

More Expat Exchange comments regarding our home invasion:

Dcventures: I am glad you had that experience as I think it may be an experience that wises you and your girl up to the realities of remotely living as a gringo in Colombia. I know the dream: ours was initially a finca where our kids could come and visit from the states, Peace and tranquility abounds. What a bunch of crap! I also know what happens when you have an experience like you had and how we were never again able to spend any tranquil time at our finca in parcelation Popalito, 40 kilometers north of Medellin after such. A very nice psuedo "gated community". Our hearts had been changed and the dream destroyed. Ours was a little more complex, but I think it saved us from a worse fate. We weren't finca people anyhow and an apartment in Sabeneta better fits our needs today. Colombia is a wonderful country where I expect to die. But I have lost much of the naivety I brought into Colombia from the states, And most all of the Colombian people are good. There is just a small percentage of the population that’s evil. Unfortunately, you can not really know who they are until it’s to late. So you limit your exposure as best you can. That’s what everyone who has anything of value does in Colombia. DC DC.

CAtoMDE: Well said DCVENTURES. For 4 years I own a sizeable dairy farm out by San Pedro. I rarely go out there as it causes too much commotion and unwanted interest. So to be safe I nor my paisa wife, who manages the operation, never have a routine, always travel with a few other Colombian friends and stay low keyed. I have never even walked in to Colanta, so no one would see this big gringo and get any ideas. We never, never even mention the Spanish word that they use for a man or woman who owns a large farm (don't even write it here) nor do we show anything on our Facebook or any other communication tool that hints of what we have. After reading this experience from the OP we now will become more careful, we will never mention when we travel to Colombia or leave, we come and go like a ship passing in the night. I too plan on retiring in Colombia in the next 6-8 years and hopefully a new president will clean things up in a grander scale but that too is wishful thinking. Key points: Be low keyed/low profile, know your surroundings, don't trust anyone, enjoy.

BrianBunuelo: Thank God you and your g/f are physically unharmed. I know the experience left you both traumatized. We really appreciate your courage and for sharing the details with others. As I prepare for my relocation, I often think of preparing for this reality. I think there are great resouces online of how to enjoy Colombia and more to follow. But it seems there is a need for a site/app dedicated to security tips and news as more foreigners visit and relocate.

If I wasn’t clear yesterday, I think we’ve found our apartment.  It isn’t perfect but we can fix it up some and we can always move after 6 months.

Today we’re going back to Envigado so I can pay my health insurance premium for May.  I believe we’ll also revisit the apartment where I will take photos and room measurements.

Teresa told me we have to go into town next week and buy cement, sand, and water pipes for the work on the sideroad leading to the finca.

I received an email from MBE that I have 3 documents waiting for pickup.  I’m pretty sure one of them is my new USAA debit card.  Hopefully, we can get there sometime early next week.

Teresa received a call and then told me there are 2 different people possibly interested in renting the finca.  Someone is coming by about noon to take a look at it.

Teresa didn’t want to go out today so I had her call Natalia and we have been given permission to pay my health insurance on Monday, May 2^nd.  So we’ll probably go to MBE the same day.

We took a nap for about an hour.  I understand the guy who was going to look at the finca got lost.  The guy from Agency #1 called and said he wasn’t interested in the finca.  Not positive if it’s the same guy.  (I forgot to mention I emailed Laura photos of the finca and she was to send them to the agencies.)

I checked the address of the apartment and it looks like it’s about 10 blocks from Parque Envigado.

Laura emailed me some links to a few apartments but I’m busy watching the NFL draft.

The Bears traded their 2^nd round pick to the Seattle Seahawks but I don’t know yet for what.  Maybe picks next year?  I finally learned they traded down 5 spots and also got an additional 4^th round pick, then they drafted Cody Whitehair, a versatile guard from Kansas State.

Teresa informed me that the apartment we saw yesterday is no longer available as the store next door is going to expand into that space.  :(

T-shirt of the day: Take every change and drop away fear.

Thursday, April 28th, 2016

Today’s the day!  Tonight at 8pm Eastern Time is the 1^st round of the NFL draft.  My Chicago Bears have the 11^th pick.

The workers showed up about 7am so I got up at 7:30.

I found my Citibank debit card last night.  The thieves had completely overlooked a location where I hid my US passport, driver’s license, and Citibank card.  Unfortunately, I’ve already cancelled the card and ordered a new one.

Today’s a very foggy, overcast day.  Hopefully that will keep the heat down.

It was 62 degrees with 100% humidity when we left the finca at 9:55.  We got past the G-dogs undetected, and were on a bus after a 10 minute wait.  Teresa forgot her sunglasses again but she ended up not needing them because it turned out to be overcast/cloudy all day.  

At the new real estate agency, hereafter referred to as Agency #2, I showed them my driver’s license, passport and my last 2 month’s bank statements.

Laura went to Wilson’s apartment where she dropped off a form for him to complete.

Laura and I walked down to a copy center where we made 2 copies of everything.

They all helped me fill out a form for me that was in Spanish. 

Laura went back to Wilson’s apartment and brought back Wilson’s completed form.

We had lunch at Carbón de Leña.  Teresa had the special of the day – Mondongo - Laura had a casserole, I had their pork shish kebab, Teresa and I shared a mango juice with milk and Laura had some kind of juice.  The total came to 34,500 (about $12).

We walked a couple blocks to Western Union but it was closed until 2pm for lunch.  At 2pm I went inside alone to retrieve the money my brother sent me.  Since this was my first time here I was happy there was a woman there who spoke very good English.

We walked to Agency #1 where Teresa gave me some papers to copy.  Laura went around the corner with me and we waited our turn to have copies made.  While we were waiting there was a man there with what looked like camouflage tattoos all over his face and neck.  He also had dreadlocks.

Teresa went to get her nails done and I went to the park to play chess.  I quickly found an opponent and I won the game with a single pawn advantage.

We said goodbye to Laura who had to get to her 4pm English class.  Teresa and I walked down to La Abuela Isabel where we shared a slice of cheesecake with glasses of milk for 8,700 (about $3).

It started raining lightly.

Back in Agency #2 at 4pm we met the man who was going to take us to see more apartments.  He went, as usual, on his motorcycle and we took a taxi.  The first apartment was about 20 blocks east of downtown and it only had 2 small bedrooms.  What’s so hard about remembering that we’re looking for 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms?  Next we went about 10 blocks south to a gated area and I was surprised that it was a townhouse.  It had 3 bathrooms with everything except the bedrooms on the 1^st floor.  The bedrooms were again small and we’re too far away from everything so we declined.  The realtor checked his cell phone and finally found one closer to downtown.

This apartment was on the first floor next to a small store.  It had 3 large bedrooms but only one (but nice) bathroom.  It was clean and looked newly painted.  Two of the bedrooms had very small closets and the largest bedroom didn’t have any closet.  What?  The kitchen floor space was large but with small counter space.  I would have designed the apartment space differently – for example, take a few feet of the kitchen space to add closets to the bedrooms.  There is only one door (the front) and it appeared to be made of pretty solid wood but I was happy when Teresa suggested we add an additional metal gate.  It appears to be walking distance from Parque Envigado, the 2 main roads toward Medellin and an Exito grocery store.  It costs 1,300,000 a month, we only have to sign a 6 month contract and we pay month by month.  Teresa talked to a man working in the store next door and it appears we are in Estrato 4 so we won’t have to pay extra for the utilities – (Estratos 5 & 6 subsidize Estratos 1 & 2).

We walked to Exito where we picked up a couple bags of groceries.  While waiting in line we ran into the owner of Agency #2.  Teresa talked to him about the possibility of trading the finca for the apartment.  We took a taxi to the highway and after a 5 minute wait we were on a Tratam bus back to the finca.  It was still raining as we walked up the hill and we got past the G-dogs undetected.  We arrived back at the finca at 7:45.

In the 1^st round of the NFL draft the Chicago Bears traded up 2 spots and then selected outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.

T-shirt of the day: Fashion is my addiction.

How one Colombian Family Could Solve some of Alzheimer's Mysteries - Medellin Living

How one Colombian family could solve some of Alzheimer’s mysteries

Tangled Bank Studios, LLC

Francisco Lopera, Kenneth Kosik, and Lucia Madrigal on horseback outside Medellín, Colombia, a region where these neurologists have found the world's largest family with hereditary Alzheimer's disease.

By Kenneth S. Kosik

April 12, 2016

It’s easy to think that the mysteries of Alzheimer’s disease will be revealed in the high-tech hallways of US medical centers and research institutes. But new discoveries are coming from far-off places like Medellín, Colombia, which may be ground zero for finding the genetic basis of this dreaded neurodegenerative disease that strips people of memories and destroys personalities.

For more than 25 years, I have worked with Dr. Francisco Lopera of Medellín’s University of Antioquia in studying the largest known family with inherited Alzheimer’s disease. Its family tree goes back 300 hundred years. Hundreds of individuals in this family are fated to get the disease. Their symptoms usually develop between the ages of 45 and 50.

Studying this community has given us a clear picture of Alzheimer’s in this genetic microcosm. We now know the gene, called presenilin 1 (PSEN1), that is responsible for this family’s disease. Knowing the gene mutation means we can predict which family members will get Alzheimer’s. Knowing whom the disease will strike, and when, offers a powerful basis for finding a treatment and determining if it is effective. The Colombian family is now part of a large prevention trial.

While most of the family members with the PSEN1 variant develop Alzheimer’s disease before age 50, a few develop it later. We have recently discovered that these individuals carry a different genetic variant that provides some protection against the disease. This modifier gene can delay Alzheimer’s onset by as much eight to 10 years. But it doesn’t provide complete protection — we haven’t seen anyone with the PSEN1 mutation who escapes Alzheimer’s disease.
In a surprisingly improbable happenstance, another large family with a different genetic mutation that also causes Alzheimer’s at an early age lives in a nearby village. This gives us an opportunity to put our findings of a modifier gene to the test in a different genetic setting.

Obstacles remain

Despite more than 100 years of research, relatively little is known about Alzheimer’s disease. Experts still don’t have a fundamental understanding of the underlying biological and physiological changes of the disease or what drives them.
The scope of the problem is daunting. Around the world, more than 40 million people are currently suffering from Alzheimer’s; more than 5 million of them live in the United States, and that number is projected to double as baby boomers age over the next 20 years. The disease already burdens our communities and our country: 15 million Americans provide care for a loved one with the disease, while Alzheimer’s health care costs exceed $200 billion a year in the US and are projected to surpass $1 trillion as the population ages.
The drug development process for Alzheimer’s disease is riddled with challenges. One issue for clinical trials is the inclusion of individuals misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Including individuals with vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, or even poorly understood forms of cognitive impairment — all of which can look like Alzheimer’s — can easily throw off a trial’s results. On the other hand, including those with advanced Alzheimer’s may also skew results because they may have lost too many brain cells to measurably respond to the therapy.
Researchers also face challenges when measuring trial outcomes, since they must quantify changes in the way a person thinks (cognition). Directly measuring cognition can be hard to do, so stand-ins such as brain imaging are often used to interpret whether a therapy is effective. Unfortunately, such stand-ins don’t always correlate with changes in cognition or quality of life.

A path forward

Lopera and other colleagues are now conducting a clinical trial in Colombia to test an antibody directed against a type of protein called amyloid, which collects in the brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Regardless of the outcome of this trial, additional research and trials in Medellín and other parts of the world may help us better identify the underlying physiology of the disease, information the global scientific community desperately needs. Expanding the scope of our understanding can help expand the pipeline for drugs to target Alzheimer’s. There are likely many ways into this problem, but one thing is certain: The only way out of it is research.
And we must move more quickly. Given the low probability that any one clinical trial has for success, several colleagues and I recently estimated that if we continue today’s sequential way of doing clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease, it will take 260 years before we get a treatment for it. Instead, let’s take multiple shots on goal by running several trials in parallel. Admittedly, this approach will require significant financial resources. But now is the time to collectively determine how to make these much-needed investments.
With the looming prospect of millions more affected by Alzheimer’s disease, an investment in the increasingly powerful scientific tools within the research community remains the best bet to achieve a cure.

Wednesday, April 27th, 2016

Just one more day!

More comments regarding my home invasion:

LocoGringo: I do not know coffee guy, keeping a low profile is fine if that is your style, however out of fear or intimidation, I just don’t buy into it. A man has to live his life as he sees fit. The key is finding a place where you "Fit In". I live very large in my pueblo, as compared to the locals. I do not have a car, do not wear jewelry and work along side my employees, getting very dirty and sweaty. Nothing special about it, just my life style. I do have great air cond. in the house, a $3,000 espresso machine and all the comforts of a modern home. I think I fit in just fine, patron! If your lifestyle is showy, then perhaps one should live some where that showy is the norm. I had a friend back in the States, he drove an old but nice truck. Wore clothes from KMart, and mowed his own lawn on a John Deere, his 40 acre estate with a 6,000 foot home. The important thing is to feel confortable......... The other important thing about living in Colombia, don't assume that because they smile and are friendly, they are your friend. What Andersen went through is horrible, awful and would scare the crap out of anyone. For sure some one who befriended him was the cause if it all. Kind of sad but also a wake up call for Don Andersen, keep an eye on everyone. Only trust those that have proven to be trustworthy. Be safe and smart.

Mtbe: Sorry to hear this. Glad that everyone is safe and sound. Things can be replaced, people can't. My spouse and I just bought a finca two years ago. Been there several times, but just for a week or two. She's been there much longer. There is a guy who farms the land, for himself, we just 'lease' the land for a very small amount. He has warned my spouse about keeping low, don't talk about me, etc. The house is minimally furnished, we do the work on the house and land ourselves. Neighbors are asking us why are we doing it ...our reply, "It costs money we don't have" (essentially). Still may not prevent what happened here.  Does make me think twice.

Soystar1: I should add that the person who usually cleans your house is part of this syndicate. Have you ever wondered why Colombian's always ask how much did that cost? They already know about you and being here is a dead giveaway. When we say they don't know about us and our wealth is a misnomer. Don't kid yourself, a normal Colombian's wage is roughly 350 dollars per month and they could never afford a finca. You are right in the bullseye of these thieves.

CAtoMDE: My Paisa wife and I talk about safety and security issues in Medellin over the past 4 to 5 years and so when I read this account yesterday we discussed it long and hard. My wife has been robbed twice on the street in Medellin during her university school years and once or twice in their family home when growing up.  (About estrado 4 house around the estadium and Pilarica areas of town.)  Once as a teenager, driving with her brother (good guy but you don't mess with him), two robbers approached their car at a stop light, just say one robber was killed and the other fled. The car was damaged beyond repair crushing the dead guy (robber). This is the reasons why vigilanteism is now becoming the norm in Colombia. They are fed up with this. Another topic. Just want to thank the OP with sharing his account as it will help others like me prepare for my future in Colombia.

LaPiranha: CAtoMDE. Whilst that may sound like a good strategy to many folk, I wouldn't advise it. Countless times you hear of street robberies and in most of the cases where someone fights back, they are totally unaware that there is an accomplice a few yards away. You don't even know he is there, completely anonymous and unobtrusive ...... until he pulls his knife, or shoots you dead. There was an expat forum a while back, (it’s closed now, and I can't remember the name), where one of the well known and well liked contributors met such a tragic end. He fought back, and his widow informed the forum of the circumstances of his death. It was exactly the same ...... accomplice lurking a few yards away, to all appearances not even remotely connected to the robber, until he shot him dead. Most of us automatically think "WTF ??? I'm not going to let some snotty nosed kid turn me over. I'll give that motherf**** such a beating, he'll never do it again". But I've learned over many years, to ask the question ..... What's more important to lose a few pesos, or lose your life? I'm no coward by any means, and I've encountered more than my fair share of violent crime in my life. But as I get older, I've gotten a bit wiser too. It’s your choice, it’s your life. It’s your risk. But as we get older, we learn that it’s much nicer to have a long and comfortable life, than a very short heroic moment. Sometimes "prudence" is the better option. Ok, it hasn't yet happened to me here in Colombia. The only people I meet are so nice, friendly, and never take advantage, but if or when it happens to me, then I don't know what my reaction will be. But it has made me reassess my attitudes and question my natural instincts.

Dliss62: This is truly a key topic because for me and my Colombiana wife, the security issue always comes up when we discuss going back to Colombia. My wife has been the victim of street crime (cell phone robbed, purse snatched and jewelry stolen) and no matter in what stratus neighborhood you live; you’re exposed to this unfortunate threat. In our case, we are city dwellers and like malls, cafes, restaurants and theater, which is also a place that crooks like to live and steal. In my 7 years in Colombia, I rarely met anyone that was not a victim of crime at least once in their lives. One of the scariest scenarios in Bogota was the “paseo millonario”, which is outright kidnapping and extortion. The best defense is to always be aware of your surroundings and plan your travel/activities carefully. As much as we miss Colombia, we have come to appreciate the tranquility and carefree lifestyle in the U.S. I guess we have to search for the ideal place in Colombia that will provide us the lifestyle we like and security we can live with.

I took my large umbrella, we left the finca at 9:45, the mother dog came out but I didn’t have any dog biscuits to give her.  We were on a bus after a 5 minute wait.

We stopped at Carbón de Leña where we each had an almojabana and a cup of coffee.  Laura showed up as we were finishing and she had a pastel de pollo (chicken pastry) and hot chocolate.  The total was 15,500 (about $5.50).  It started raining.

We walked the block to the agency where we learned that our application was rejected because Wilson (our co-signer) doesn’t have any money in the bank.  I asked how much does he need to have in the bank, thinking I could loan him a few million pesos.  I also asked if I could possibly pay 6 months rent in advance.  I was told I would have to put up 10 million pesos collateral separate from my monthly apartment payment.  So, that was a deal-breaker.  I understand the 65,000 pesos I paid the other day was to study our application.  Teresa talked to someone in the office and apparently he gave us our next lead.

We walked down the hill towards Wilson’s apartment and we stopped at another agency – Inmobiliaria Alcala.  Teresa explained our predicament, they put me on the phone with someone named Daniel in New Jersey and I was asked to show my last 2 months bank deposits, my passport and driver’s license.

They took us to see an apartment for 1,100,000 a few blocks south.  It was on a noisy street and the bedrooms were small.   We looked at another apartment for 1,200,000 a few blocks away.  It was on a busy street, the place was dirty, old, and with 4 small bedrooms.  Teresa for some reason liked the kitchen but I said “no way”.  It was raining so we stopped across the street at an internet café where I printed my bank statements.  We went back to Carbón de Leña where we all had the special of the day.

We went back to the first agency where Teresa put her finca up for sale.  It stopped raining while we were inside.

Back at the office they showed us photos of a couple other larger, nicer, more expensive apartments we’re going to look at tomorrow.

We walked halfway to the metro station, stopped at a small store where we bought a couple bags of dog food.  We continued on to the station where we caught a bus back to the finca right away.

When we got to the sideroad Mario was there in his SUV and he gave us a ride up to the top of the hill.  There were 2 young men in the back seat and later Teresa told me they are private security Mario hired to guard the fincas.  That might buy us a little time but that doesn’t mean they are going to be around when we need them.

We got past the G-dogs undetected and were back at the finca by 4:45.

Teresa’s keeping busy cleaning out drawers and closets, throwing out lots of stuff.  She told me she’s sold some of her large armoires to her friend Elda in Sopetran.

We’re running out of a lot of food stuffs so tonight I made grilled cheese sandwiches.  (Yes, I had to do a quick search on the internet because I don’t cook.)

I checked MBE online and it says I have another set of documents being processed in Miami – that makes 3.  Maybe it’s the books I ordered.

I’ve been asking Teresa all day and she finally called Natalia and got permission for me to pay my health insurance on Friday.  (The 1^st of May is a Sunday and Saturday banks are only open a half day.)

T-shirt of the day: I’m not antisocial, I just don’t like you.

Tuesday, April 26th, 2016

2 days and counting! 

The workers showed up at 6:40am so we both got up and Teresa made a tinto (a strong local coffee) for each of us.

My tax refund appeared in my USAA account this morning so I was able to send my brother a check to replace the cash he sent me via Western Union.

I haven’t been able to log into my Citibank account so I called them and found I can’t reset my online password until I receive my new debit card.

Someone on Expat Exchange posted:

“… hats off to the US Embassy Foreign Benefits Unit in Bogota. Their procedure for handling our cases has improved a good bit in the six years I´ve been here, especially now they send the translated income benefits letter by courier to your home.  Their turn around time is only a few days. But last year they advised me to not wait until the last minute to send them my documents so I don´t run the risk of being overdue for my visa renewal. This year I will send my docs to FBU a couple months in advance.

FBUBogota@state.gov email. Sorry, I can't provide the link for the privacy form here. But, they will send it to you when you are ready to get your paperwork certified.

Privacy Act Form: https://www.ssa.gov/forms/ssa-3288.pdf

One of things to go right when renewing my fifth consecutive TP7 was contacting the US Embassy FBU by email. They were very prompt and sent me my pension certification in a few days. Here's what you need to get this done: 1. signed and completely filled out privacy form. 2. copy of pension payments e.g. bank statement. 3. Copy of passport. You then send these by email and they send you a hard copy by mail and that is about it. What I enjoyed the best is that their certification comes in Spanish so you avoid any translation costs when you take it to the visa department in Bogota. Did I mention that this service has no cost involved? I am happy and it almost appeared if I was in Kansas again.

Yes, the US Embassy will accept your latest Benefits Verification letter, even if it is 11 months old, because what the Benefits verification letter tells you is what will be your SS benefits for the year you are currently in. No, a bank statement is not a Benefits Verification Letter issued by US Social Security Agency. Other forms of proof of income are acceptable to US Embassy. They will tell you what the requirements are if you do not have a Social Security income.”

I’ll try to give this a try at the end of the year.  Maybe I can renew my pensionado visa for something less than the 1,000,000 pesos I pay to have it done for me.

We decided to wait until tomorrow to go look at additional apartments.

It started raining at noon and it didn’t take long before it was coming down hard.  15 minutes later I disconnected the TV as we were losing the Direct TV satellite signal.  It finally stopped about 2pm.

Looking at the MBE website it shows I have 2 documents “In Transit”.  I think that should be both my USAA debit cards and “In Transit” means they are in Miami.

I saw on the Today show that today is the 30^th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident – a reminder that we (humans) have the ability to destroy ourselves.

I posted to Expat Exchange my experience from last Wednesday and this was probably the best response I received:

I’m very sorry you and your GF were put through such a horrible ordeal! This is in line with my area of expertise and I have worked many cases in Colombia where American citizens have been robbed, kidnapped and murdered. My advice to you…MOVE! Get an apartment with good security (armed portero, elevator lock and security door). Unless you’re willing to pay for private security service; living in a finca is dangerous even for Colombians. I have trained on weapons all my life and consider my proficiency superior to most people, but protecting yourself against an ambush is practically impossible. The Embassy does help to recover Americans who are kidnapped by working closely with the Gaula and intelligence sections of the CNP. Unfortunately, these kidnappers can be ruthless and I have witnessed many sad outcomes. This type of incident happens often to Colombian-Americans who return on vacation and flaunt their U.S. wealth to relatives and friends. You were very fortunate that they did not take you and sell you to other groups, who would have tried to milk your family for substantially more money. I think that most in this forum would agree that keeping a low profile is the key to a healthy and peaceful life in Colombia.

Another good response: You have my sympathy and I understand what you must be going through, even now, long after they've gone. I can tell you, from experience, it is common practice for robbers to wait a while, it could be weeks or even a couple of months, then they know that most of what they stole will be replaced under insurance, and of course, will be brand new stuff. That's when it makes you vulnerable. Even if they don't come back, it still leaves the scars. Thank God you and your g/f are now ok and unharmed. This is what you need to think about, not just these robbers, but in life in general, wherever you may be. The reason you were left unharmed is probably because you were compliant, did not fight back, or pose a threat to them. All a robber wants to do is get away, and unrecognized. If you block their way, or put up a fight, they'll do ANYTHING to get the hell out of it, get past you, and away. I can tell you that with certainty, as I was in the "industry" for many, many years. So what's the best thing to do? My opinion is let them go, but take precautions. If you fire pepper spray, it might work, but it might not. What happens if it doesn't do the job? They will go for you, for sure. Either way it gets violent, a knife, a gun, and you're dead. Let them go, and 9 times out of ten, you'll be unharmed. So what precautions can you take? If you have money in the house, imagine where a robber will look. Even simulate a robbery yourself, with you as the robber, ransacking all those places where most people would hide their valuables. And then hide a very small amount right there, where they will be looking for it. The rest of your cash, find some place where you think they'll never go. The most unlikely place is often in with the trash. Cover it with more trash, and chances are they simply won't bother sifting through the trash. If they beat you, trying to make you tell them where your cash is, then you can tell them where it is, (the small stash, of course), and hopefully they'll be satisfied. Or they might find it themselves when they turn everything upside down. Good. They'll think they've found it. Even when you're out, I do similar stuff. If I'm going to draw money from a cash machine, I keep the big stuff in a separate pocket, and in the other pocket, a few thousand pesos, and that's it. So if I have to hand over the cash, they get the small amount. It hasn't happened yet, but wherever you are in the world, there's a good chance that it will happen one day. Hopefully, this incident was your "unlucky time", and maybe you might not get another, but always think on the safe side. Try not to let it spoil your enjoyment of living here, for one of the worst effects of a robbery is how the trauma afterwards almost ruins your dream. Everything that you thought previously, and how it won't happen to you, is now turned on its head, you feel violated, and many people let it affect their lives, spoil the dream, and take away all the pleasure of living here. Think of it like ........ "Well, if it happens to most people once in their lives, well, now you've got that out of the way". Again, glad to know you were both ok and unharmed. Best wishes.

T-shirt of the day: Limits are for losers.

Monday, April 25th, 2016

3 days and counting! 

We didn’t get to bed until 12:30am but I fell asleep quickly and didn’t wake up until the dogs woke me up at 5:30.  I finally got up at 8:15.

We left the finca at 12:15, I gave each of the G-dogs a dog biscuit and we were on a bus after a 5 minute wait.  We had lunch at Carbón de Leña – 2 specials of the day for 26,500 (about $9).  Teresa went to have her nails done for 5,000 pesos but came back a few minutes later and informed me that the girl was too busy.  Laura arrived a few minutes later.

Wilson arrived just after 2pm and we all went to the agency where Teresa filled out a 2-sided form.  At one point she put my first and middle name down where the last name goes and then she had to start over with a new form.  I went upstairs and paid 20,000 pesos then I gave 65,000 pesos to the lady who was helping us.

We walked to the apartment – I was pretty sure I could find it without having the address but I got lost.  I don’t know why Teresa didn’t ask for the address. 

 

I measured the rooms and one thing I discovered is that because of a railing and something out that juts out from the side there is only 58 centimeters of clearance on the stairs leading up to the 3^rd floor.  Anything brought up would have to be lifted about 4 feet off the floor to clear those obstacles or have to be lifted up via the balcony.  We considered that a deal breaker and went back to the agency to check on other apartments.  Teresa told me later she also didn’t like that the kitchen could be seen from the front door.

At the agency it started raining about 5pm and it finally let up about 5:45 but we decided to come back tomorrow.  I understand the guy who was showing us apartments is interested in seeing the finca to rent or buy so he’s stopping by tomorrow morning and then we’re leaving with him for Envigado.

We went back to Carbón de Leña where Laura had the special of the day for “lunch”, Teresa had a chicken pastry and hot chocolate and I had a slice of carrot cake (it was delicious) and café con leche for a total of only 16,000 pesos (about $5.50).

We took a taxi to the highway and right away caught a Tratam bus back to the finca.

Walking up the sideroad in the dark we were nervous when we saw a man walking very slowly ahead of us.  When we finally got up to the top where the floodlight is Teresa recognized a man who lives in a finca higher up the mountain.

I gave the black dog my last dog biscuit and we got back to the finca by 7:15.

I finished Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot and downloaded Harlan Coben’s 274 page Fool me Once.

I received an email from my bank, effective June 2^nd, that “Transactions at ATMs located outside of the United States may not be eligible for ATM usage fee refunds.”  I guess I’ll have to wait and see if this really changes.

Now we return to our previous programming of boring t-shirts.

T-shirt of the day: Fabulous memories.  Kiss me right now.

Sunday, April 24th, 2016

4 days and counting! 

I finally got a good night’s sleep.  I went to bed at 10:30, fell asleep quickly and didn’t wake up until 5:30.  I fell back asleep finally getting up at 8:45.

I sent an email to Margarita Montes in Miami inquiring about the 3 bedroom apartment in Laureles just in case the Envigado apartment falls through.

Teresa told me we were going down to the highway to meet her friend Diana who bought some dog food for our terriers.  We walked down to the highway but Teresa kept on walking south to the entrance of her friend’s finca.  The gate was locked and Teresa told me she forgot her friend’s telephone number.  She yelled up the hill and finally Diana came down with a younger man and his 2 german shepherds.  They talked about our break-in for awhile.  I heard the BeeGees Saturday Night Fever coming from her finca.  Finally we walked up to her finca and I heard Downtown Girl playing.  They talked about 30 minutes more until it started misting.  We finally took the 2 small bags of dog food, I paid Diana 12,500 pesos and we headed back to the finca.  I had to take another shower by the time we returned even though today was very cloudy and there was a cool breeze.

Since Wednesday we jump everytime the dogs make a fuss to be sure that no one is coming towards the finca.

T-shirt of the day: “When I was 25 and got a hard-on, I couldn’t bend it with both hands.  By the time I was 50, I could bend it about 10 degrees if I tried real hard.  By the time I was 60, I could bend it 20 degrees, no problem.  I’m gonna be 70 next week, and I can bend it in half with just one hand.  So, what’s my point?  Well, I’m just wondering … how much stronger am I going to get?”

Saturday, April 23rd, 2016

5 days and counting! 

I made a trip to the bathroom about 3:45 (4 hours sleep) and couldn’t get back to sleep after that.  I finally found my brother’s telephone number on my laptop so I can call him without needing to email him first.

I think I got about 5 hours sleep last night, again, probably too much thinking.

Teresa is waiting for a call from Une.  If Une comes today than I can call my brother using magicJack.  If they don’t come and fix it today, everything will be closed in Envigado on Sunday anyway so our next trip to town would be on Monday.  Today we used the last of the dog food so we’re going to have to get to town soon.

Teresa talked to the guy at the real estate agency and he said he has someone who will rent the finca.

Teresa called some of her friends in the local fincas to see if they have internet so I could use it to call my brother but no luck.

Teresa talked to Felipe, the vet, and I understand he has moved to a safer location.  We asked if Peter would be happy in a small apartment and learn not to bark all the time and to do “his business” outside.  Felipe’s answer was not encouraging.  A major concern right now is what to do with the terriers.

We stayed home today so Une could fix the internet connection but then it rained from 12:45 to 2:15 so I don’t know how that will affect things.

Teresa said something about there being a lot of paperwork that Wilson will have to provide and then she asked me about the apartment in Laureles.  Uh-oh!

Finally, someone from Une called at 3:30 and asked us to plug in our router.  I did and immediately found my internet connection was back.

I called my brother and discussed using Western Union to send me some cash and then I can send him a check from my bank in the States.

I got caught up on my blog posts.

Among this week’s new movie releases I would like to see A Hologram for the King (6.4) because it stars my favorite actor, Tom Hanks.

Locally, I’m probably too busy this week to have time (or the money) to see a movie.

The Colombian Peso closed this week at 2,946.80 to the dollar.

At 6pm it started raining again and it lasted a couple hours.

T-shirt of the day: When a lady is pregnant, all her friends touch her stomach and say, "Congrats".  But, none of them comes up to the man - touches his penis and says, "Good job".  Moral of the story -- Hard work is rarely appreciated.

Friday, April 22nd, 2016

6 days and counting!

I slept through the night.  Yay!

I got up about 7am when I heard the workers digging outside.

The veterinarian, Felipe, showed up and Teresa talked to him for some time.

Leonardo showed up with a new wheel for the old wheelbarrow.  Now they won’t have to carry away dirt in 5 gallon plastic pails.

8am came and went.

At one point Teresa was on the phone talking to someone while Leonardo was sitting in the kitchen and Felipe was sitting in the living room.  Felipe knows a little English and I learned he studied for 5 years at the University of Antioquia (EAFIT doesn’t have a veterinarian school) and he has been working as a vet for about 5 years.

Felipe told me we could put a small camera in the corner of a room that would record everything (hmmm; no more sex on the kitchen table; lol) and send it to a remote location for recording.  (I guess that way they could get good video of us getting our throats slit.)  Not exactly a deterrent.  He told me putting a loud horn outside would not be a good idea as they would exact revenge on us.

I gave Leonardo 60mil for the wheelbarrow wheel and Teresa gave him 500mil for work done thus far.

9am came and went.  I understood that we’re waiting for a phone call from her cousin Nidia, who owns the El Rancherito restaurants, and they’re going to pick us up and go to the police department.

A neighbor, Geraldo, came by and apparently got into an argument with Teresa.  Later she told me that the thieves visited him – does he think we could have possibly stopped them?

Teresa made me wear my new leather shoes even though they are painful to my heel when I walk uphill.  I took my iPad so I could email my brother, my Nook so I could read my book and download other books should I not have anything else to do, and a measuring tape so I could measure the size of the apartment rooms and the hallway stairs leading up to it.

We finally left the finca at 10:45, I gave each of the dogs a dog biscuit but when we got to the top of the hill Teresa realized she forgot her sunglasses.  Sigh!  She wanted me to go back with her to help with Guillermo’s dogs.  As soon as we got past Guillermo’s house I waited in a little shade while Teresa retrieved he sunglasses.  We managed to get past the G-dogs without paying further toll.

Nydia was waiting for us in their Kia Sportage SUV.  She was with her husband and who I figure was her son driving.  It was an automatic with air conditioning which was nice.  They drove to Caldas but when we arrived at the Caldas police station for some reason they said we had to go to the Envigado station.

On the way there Nydia was talking on her cell phone.  At one point they pulled off the road onto a shoulder and Teresa asked me to get out of the car.  Teresa looked like she was going to get out also but remained in the car.  I think Nydia was talking about some sensitive information, but hey, I have a small hearing loss, Teresa was sitting between us and I DON’T UNDERSTAND SPANISH!  How rude!  After 5-10 minutes I was invited back into the car.  I was surprised when they turned around and headed back in the other direction.  I asked where we were going and was told the Caldas police station.  I laughed out loud – loudly.  Driving downtown Caldas we stopped at a Tienda Natural Health store which was called Azahares at Carrera 49 #131Sur-50.  It sold natural products (vitamins and such) and included a bakery with a restaurant in the back.  Teresa ordered for me and I got a large bowl of frijoles with pieces of mango inside, a slice of avocado and about 6 small french fries on top (?).  Then they brought me a plate with tomato slices and what looked like cous cous (they said it was natural rice).  I didn’t care for the rice.  I also had a glass of strawberry juice.  The others had something similar and Nydia’s husband paid 38,600 (about $13) for all of us.  Afterwards we went outside where there were a few umbrella tables and an unusually nice breeze.  After 5 minutes Nydia said it was too cold out and we went back inside.  ?  Unfortunately, the restaurant did not have wi-fi so I still couldn’t email my brother.

For some reason they were in no hurry to leave and we were there for about 2 hours.  Maybe the police station closes down for lunch from noon to 2pm?  In the meantime I ordered one of their little muffins I saw in the bakery.  It had raisins inside but was as dry as anything – so much for health food.  I learned that Nydia and her 3 children own 7 El Rancherito restaurants in the area.  That probably keeps her on the phone all day.

A quote from Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot that I’m currently reading “Massive mudflows from the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in 1985 killed more than 25,000 Colombians.”  I recall seeing a 30^th anniversary rememberance on TV last year.

I was surprised when again we changed directions and drove to the Envigado police station on the edge of downtown - it didn’t look much like a police station.  They took Teresa and Nydia upstairs so I understood they didn’t need me.  They said they had wifi and I found the network but the signal was so weak it was worthless.  After about an hour and 15 minutes I figured I’d wasted enough time and told Nydia’s son I’m going to Carbon de Lena to send an email and I would return here when finished.  I think that shocked him a little.  At the restaurant I sent my brother an email and while waiting had an iced tea.  After checking the rest of my emails – maybe 30 minutes – I returned to the police station and the ladies still weren’t back.  That’s when the policeman mentioned that it takes 2 hours.  I told the son I was going to the internet café where I called the US and cancelled my 2^nd debit card and ordered a new one.  There’s no real rush on this one and it probably won’t arrive for 4 weeks or so.

Back at the police station they finally came out 2 hours and 15 minutes after they went in.  We walked across the street where they entered this little store for a drink.  When asked I was told they didn’t have wi-fi; the owner pointed to an outlet on the floor but that wasn’t going to do it.  I insisted to Teresa that we go to Carbon de Lena because I needed wi-fi.  We said goodbye to the others and walked the 2 blocks to the restaurant.  I had another iced tea, she had a juice and we shared some type of cheese pastry called pan de queso.  Teresa asked me if I wanted to sleep in Envigado tonight.  I asked why and she replied that she’s afraid to go back to the finca.  (I wonder if she learned something more at the police station.)  I told her not to worry because it’s too soon for the bad guys to return.

After about 30 minutes we left and took a taxi to the highway.  After about 10 minutes we were on a Tratam bus back to the finca.  Teresa informed me that she left her flip flops in the SUV.  After passing Guillermo’s house the black dog came charging down the sideroad and cut in front of me with its tongue salivating so I gave him a dog biscuit.  We got back to the finca at 6:30 just as it was getting dark.  I think we’ve decided not to put the dogs away at night because we would rather have them for security.  Tomorrow we head back to Envigado to sign the documents (I guess).  I saw that I received an email from my brother probably right after I closed my iPad.  I’ll try again tomorrow.  We certainly wasted a lot of time today that I could have used had I just known what was going on.

I think Teresa asked me if we should list the finca with the real estate agency.  I first suggested she talk to her friends and relatives and let them know it’s available and maybe she can rent it without having to pay an agency.

She got a phone call that Une is coming to fix the internet connection tomorrow.  So now the plan is to have a quick breakfast, go to Envigado to sign the papers, call my brother and hightail it back to the finca in time to be here for Une.

T-shirt of the day: Lovers help each other undress before sex.  However after sex, they always dress on their own.  Moral of the story -- In life, no one helps you once you're screwed.

Thursday, April 21st, 2016

7 days and counting!  (I’m beginning to wonder if I’m going to be able to enjoy that day.)

It took me hours to fall asleep – too much thinking about what transpired yesterday.

Still no internet.

Next weekend isn’t going to be much fun if I don’t have an internet connection.

Teresa dug out her old cell phone but I understand there is a problem with the ringer not being loud enough.

We left the finca about 10:30.  We found Guillermo at the highway and he got upset when Teresa told him what happened.  He said in Spanish “yo conoce esta tipo” which either means “I know the type” or “I know the guy”; big difference.

We had the taxi drop us off at $efecty where Teresa had all the coins counted.

We had lunch at Carbón de Leña – chicken shish kebab for me and fish for Teresa.  In the meantime I checked my emails and I had 2 from MBE – which should be my new debit card and my Chess Life magazine.  I checked my USAA account and no ATM withdrawals were made so that’s good.  I sent a chat email to Citibank requesting they cancel my debit card – it says they will respond within 2-3 days – that’s not good.  Laura arrived and ordered fish also.  

Teresa and I walked a couple blocks away where she bought a light dress for 15,900 pesos (about $6).  I stopped at a booth and had a battery added to my Timex sport watch for 6,000 pesos.  We stopped at a cell phone store but instead of buying a new phone she just bought a sim card for it and we added 20,000 pesos worth of minutes.  

Teresa went back to the restaurant while I took a bus to MBE.  The lady there gave me my April Chess Life magazine and, instead of a new debit card from USAA, it was a letter from Mortgage Services.  Basically it said that the package I had sent had been damaged so they are offering me 1 year of free credit monitoring with Equifax.  That means we have to wait a little longer for my new debit card.

I thought opening the new card would invalidate the old one but that didn’t work so I figured I’d better cancel the old one.  Back at the restaurant I had difficulty getting into the bank website and it froze my password.  Teresa and I walked a block to an internet café so I could call the States.  The lady working there said to start the call with “0051”.  They had 3 booths and with the first one “0051 1 800 …” didn’t work but “0051 800 …” did but after I got through all the prompts the representative couldn’t hear me.  The lady sent me to another booth – there I got nothing but a dial tone while I was still dialing.  At the 3^rd boot the phone didn’t have the “ABC” clearly associated with the “2” key, etc. so I had to go back to the 2^nd booth for a clear translation.  Finally I got through but I learned that the new debit card that should be arriving soon has the same numbers on the card – just a new expiration date.  I had her send me a new card with new numbers but I’ll have to wait 3-4 weeks for it to arrive so money is going to be tight for awhile.  I also had her reset my password.

As we were leaving the internet café Teresa recommended we rent out the finca cheaply and rent an apartment in Envigado.  I was okay with that.  She told me there is an apartment available in Wilson’s building but I told her I’d like to be a little closer (and in the same elevation) to the park.  We walked literally next door to a real estate office.  She told them what we’re looking for – 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms for 1million pesos or a little more.   A guy walked us a block down the street to an apartment above a store.  The apartment was 3 bedrooms on the 2^nd floor for 1,200,000.  It looked old, the bedrooms were small, Teresa didn’t like the kitchen and I didn’t like all the noise right outside on the very busy street.  He took us to another apartment about 7 blocks north of the park (part of the address was 32D-09).  This was a 3^rd floor apartment with larger bedrooms, a large living room area, a spot for my chess table, a large balcony and a relatively quiet location for 1,000,000 (about $350 today) a month.  Teresa loved the kitchen and the balcony so I think it’s a done deal.  So there’s one bedroom for us, one for Laura, and another for guests.  Next door (ok, actually there’s another apartment entrance in between) there’s even a corner store called La Esquina Social (The Social Corner) for my brother to sit and have a cold beer.  And if he doesn’t like that, or to break the monotony, there’s another store on the other corner.  I understand we’re coming back tomorrow to sign the contract with Wilson who will serve as our fiador (co-signer).  I understand it’s in Estrato 3 so even though we’ll be paying rent and have a water bill we won’t be paying a premium like Estrato 5 & 6 would.

I’m sure the thieves will come back someday when they figure I’ve refilled my “piggy bank” but they’ll find we don’t live there anymore.

I asked Teresa what about the dogs and I think we’ll keep one – I’m vying for Peter – and she’ll give the others to Mario.  I just hope Peter’ll be happy not being free to roam around the neighborhood.  I know one thing – he’s going to get a bath (shower?) more often because he smells.

So, I won’t have to climb that hill anymore and we’re going to be much closer to everything – the park to play chess, the buses to Poblado and MBE, new (to me at least) restaurants in the area.

We got back to the finca by 7pm.

Teresa talked to Nydia and discovered the thieves held up the El Rancherito restaurant(s) and the police are coming tomorrow.  Correction, I guess we’re meeting her Nydia and going to the police station and then she’s coming with us to Envigado.

Teresa called the veteranerion (sp?) to see if he was interested in renting the finca.  I understood he wasn’t.

For some reason unknown to me Teresa connects what happened to us to the death of her son and starts crying.

If I understood correctly it was Guillermo’s brother who sent the thieves to our house.

I understand tomorrow we’re getting up about 7am and leaving at 8am to meet Wilson in the morning to sign the rental documents.

T-shirt of the day: I only drink a little, but when I do, I turn into another person and that person drinks a lot.