Wednesday, July 27th, 2016

Went to the health club and again I wasn’t able to use the leg extension exercise machine.  It seems to be the most popular machine there.

When I got back to the apt I moved my water bottle from the refrigerator to the freezer.  After lunch I removed the water bottle and it was colder but still not frozen.  Teresa suggested I take the bus to the metro station so I won’t have to walk all that way.  Great idea!  I left the apt just after 1pm, walked a short distance to the bus stop, waited about 4 minutes for a bus, paid 1,800 pesos (about 60 cents) and was at the metro in about 4 minutes (most of that time was waiting at red lights).

At Dario’s shop I had the white pieces first and altered the order of my moves and he wasn’t able to give me the early pressure he usually does and I won that game by smothering his king.  With black I tried to play a strange opening that the “russian” had used against me and I ended up winning that game also.  We made plans to meet again next Wednesday and I left the store but stopped at the mall to use their restroom.  (It’s best not to take chances with my enlarged prostate.)  I asked one of the policemen standing at the entrance for directions and he walked me towards the rear of the building jabbering nonstop in Spanish.  I asked him if he spoke English and he smiled and said “no”.  

Background: There are a lot of television commercials centering around learning English.  Some are clever like a pillow that you sleep on and when you wake up you can speak English.  Or a pill you take that allows you to speak English.

After using the bathroom I stopped back at the front and opened my pill container in front of the guard and asked him if he would like a pill that would allow him to speak English.  It took him a second to get it and then he started laughing.  He was sharing the joke with his partner as I left.

Back at Estacion Envigado I walked to the north end of the station and asked a bus driver if he is going near Parque Envigado.   He said yes so I paid my 1,800 pesos.  The bus went basically right up the hill and I got off at the park and just had to walk a few blocks to the apt.  I still felt warm by the time I got back but at least I didn’t feel like I was in dire need of a shower.  Next time I’ll try taking the bus from the south end of the station and see if it follows the same route.

Tonight Atletico Nacional is playing again for the league championship.  I checked the TV directory and it looks like they will start about 7:45.  I also noticed the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs play tonight – probably a 7:05 start.  I also want to watch some more of the Democratic National Convention via my son’s slingbox.

At halftime Atletico Nacional was ahead 1-0.  I guess they won because from 9:30 on it’s been literally nonstop fireworks.

The president’s speech ended at 10:41 local time just as the fireworks stopped.

T-shirt of the day: Support our troops.