Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2016

I only took a 2mg sleeping tablet before bed last night but still fell asleep quickly.

Teresa got up early as she had an 8:30 massage followed by a hair appointment.  The latter only cost 76mil compared to the over 100mil we used to pay at the beauty shop near Zona Dos.

Teresa brought home a flyer for Medellin Burger Company which is at Carrera 44A #31 Sur in Envigado.  They have a special with a burger, fries, and lemonade for 14,900 (about $5).

Teresa watched a program where they were interviewing a man that had survived the 1972 rugby team plane crash in the Andes.

This morning, although mostly sunny, was very cool; at noon it was still only 72 degrees (in my computer room).

We left the apt at 1:10 and the taxi driver drove about a block from where I understand the burger place is.  We were 20 minutes early for Teresa’s dental implant appointment.  The doctor took x-rays to make sure the gum growth was still good and then he inserted a screw in the implant and we will come back on December 6th when he will take an impression for her new tooth.  The appointment only took 20 minutes.

We stopped at O-Cake where I ordered a slice of carrot cake with coffee and Teresa ordered blackberry “something” with a juice.  She said her dessert was too sweet so she wanted me to finish it.  L  At least she had some of my carrot cake.

We waited about 10 minutes to catch a taxi back to the apt.  The taxi cost 12mil each way (about $4) so I guess that’s about standard.  I think the most expensive taxi ride is when we go to Laureles and then it’s about 18mil ($6).

This is Barnes & Noble’s summary of the interesting book I’m currently reading:
Chess has been played for more than 1,500 years; it is played in every country and by an estimated 10% of the world's population. Stephen Moss sets out to master its mysteries, and unlock the secret of its enduring appeal. What, he asks, is the essence of chess? And what will it reveal about his own character along the way?
In a witty, accessible style that will delight newcomers and irritate purists, Moss imagines the world as a board and marches across it, offering a mordant report on the world of chess in 64 chapters--64 of course being the number of squares on the chessboard. He alternates between "black" chapters--where he plays, largely uncomprehendingly, in tournaments--and "white" chapters, where he seeks advice from the current crop of grandmasters and delves into the lives of great players of the past.
It is both a history of the game and a kind of "Zen and the Art of Chess"; a practical guide and a self-help book: Moss's quest to understand chess and become a better player is really an attempt to escape a lifetime of dilettantism. He wants to become an expert at one thing. What will be the consequences when he realizes he is doomed to fail?
Moss travels to Russia and the US--hotbeds of chess throughout the 20th century; meets people who knew Bobby Fischer when he was growing up and tries to unravel the enigma of that tortured genius who died in 2008 at the inevitable age of 64; meets Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen, world champions past and present; and keeps bumping into Armenian superstar Levon Aronian in the gents at tournaments.
He becomes champion of Surrey, wins tournaments in Chester and Bury St Edmunds, and holds his own at the famous event in the Dutch seaside resort of Wijk aan Zee (until a last-round meltdown), but too often he is beaten by precocious 10-year-olds and finds it hard to resist the urge to punch them. He looks for spiritual fulfilment in the game, but mostly finds mental torture.

We now have a second History Channel on Direct TV.  Tonight they had a show on the 1972 Andes plane crash that we watched from 9-11pm.


T-shirt of the day: Reinvented Polham Denim originals.  We(R) not ordinary.

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