Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Well, that didn’t work.  Last night I started watching an episode of Navy Seal Team Six (approximate title) at 9pm.  At 9:15 I took a melatonin tablet.  About 9:30, during one of the commercials, I Googled about taking melatonin and learned that I should take it 30 minutes before going to bed.  Uh-oh.  That explained why I felt so tired all of a sudden so I went to bed at 10pm.  I was still awake at 1am when I checked my watch but I believe I fell asleep soon after.  I got up once about 3:15 and made my usual trip to the bathroom.  At 4:45 I was awakened by a leaf blower far off in the distance.  As time went on the leaf blower got closer and closer and, of course, louder and louder.  I finally fell back asleep and woke up at 7:45 and got up at 8am.  Bottom line, I guess the melatonin alone isn’t enough – next time I’ll try it with a sleeping pill.

I took half of an Excedrin Migraine and was soon feeling better.

At 8:30 Teresa announced that we lost our running water.  If it’s not back on when I return from the gym my plan is to return with clean clothes for a shower.  I just have to figure out how to work around the fact that there’s often a woman mopping the floor in the men’s locker room.

At the gym I completed all my exercises in a little over 2 hours.

On the way back to the apartment Teresa showed me where the flower store is – hint, hint!

When we got back to the apartment the water was back on.  Yay!

Wondering how long the battery on my 2GB iPod Shuffle should last, I Googled it and found it will hold approximately 500 songs (I have 287 on mine) for at least 12 hours (I have 14+ hours of songs) so I should still have a couple days left before the battery poops out on me.

Teresa informed me that the couple renting the finca have split up and only the woman is living there now but the roof leaks so we have to get it fixed to protect our investment and monthly rental income.  She’s going to have someone check it out and give us an estimate.

I left the apt at 3:15, walked downtown where I added minutes to our cell phones, and quickly caught a taxi.  I was so happy the driver knew the shortcut to El Tesoro I tipped him 2,000 pesos.

I was 20 minutes early for my appointment and was surprised to see the doctor sitting in the outer waiting room with a laptop on his lap (so that’s where the name came from) and a cell phone against his ear.  He said he was talking to IRS about his taxes.  (I assume he meant the local IRS – DIAN.)

At 4pm we went into his office and he gave me another treatment fixing 2 more of my teeth.  Just 2 more to go and my next appointment is next Wednesday.

I only had to wait about 5 minutes for a taxi.  The driver seemed pissed for some reason to have to go to Envigado.  For the first time I could see the Campestre golf course on the way.  Traffic was surprisingly light and I was back at the apt by 5:45.

Teresa told me that Wilson has to go somewhere at 8pm so we’re going to cover for him at his store for 20 minutes.

I felt surprisingly good all day today despite the intermittent sleep I got last night.  And without taking a nap.

Teresa and I left the apt at 7:30.  Wilson didn’t come back until 9pm.  In the meantime I played some chess on my cell phone and Teresa took care of the customers.  When Wilson returned I felt a few drops of rain so we hustled back to the apt.

At 10:45 I took 2 sleeping pills and went to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: What language do deaf people think in?

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Last night I took my melatonin tablet about 9:45.  I took 2 sleeping pills at 11pm and we went to bed.  I fell asleep pretty quickly and only got up once about 3:15.  I woke up about 6am with tired eyes so I got up and took a 500mg acetaminophen tablet and went back to bed, finally waking and getting up at 8:30.

The street’s wet so obviously we got some rain overnight.  Today the high is supposed to be a comfortable 78 degrees.

Teresa left for the gym at 10:45.

When she came back at 11:30 she made me lunch (ribs) but didn’t have time to eat lunch herself.

We left the apt at 1:30 and arrived at her 2pm massage appointment 10 minutes early.  I bought my usual bottle of water at the hostel store and camped out on their front porch playing some chess games on my cell phone.

Teresa returned just after 3pm and we took a taxi to Santafe mall.  She did a lot of window shopping (didn’t buy anything) and we finally exchanged the XL shirt I got for father’s day for a size L at Arturo Calle.

We had “lunch” at J&C Delicias.  Teresa had her usual surf & turf with a guanabana juice and I ordered my usual penne carmela but I tried a new juice – limonada de piña (pineapple lemonade).  I like the coconut lemonade better.  I ate a little of my entrée but got the major portion of it to go.  The total bill came to 64,100 (about $22).  We got back to the apt by 7pm – traffic was very slow around the Envigado construction area.

Laura and I shared my leftover pasta for dinner.

The high today turned out to be 83 degrees but it’s supposed to only be 78 tomorrow.  We’ll see!

T-shirt of the day: When life starts to get overwhelming, just remember you’re going to die someday.

Monday, August 28, 2017

Yesterday I took a single magnesium table in the afternoon and a single melatonin tablet an hour before bedtime.

At 11pm I took 2 sleeping pills before bedtime.  I fell asleep quickly although I got up 4 times during the night.  Still, I felt pretty good when I woke/got up at 7:45am.

According the weather predictions today should be relatively cool with a high of 79 degrees but it will warm up to the upper eighties by the end of the week.

After watching the first 40 minutes of the Today show I went to the gym.  I saw Oscar today for the first time in awhile.  I asked him where he’s been and he said he was getting tattooed and showed me a large tattoo on his arm.  I did all of my exercises, including 6 minutes at speed 5 ½ on the treadmill, in 2 hours and 10 minutes.

Teresa and I took a 40 minute nap in the afternoon.

I finished Michael Connelly’s The Narrows: Harry Bosch Series #10 and then downloaded Edgar Harrell’s Out of the Depths. 

About 4pm I walked over to the park where I saw a number of chess games in progress.  I set up my chess pieces and soon had an opponent.  In all 3 games he had me on the ropes but I won one, lost one and we had one tie.

At 10pm we watched the new season (3^rd) of Fargo on Direct TV; unfortunately we missed the first 2 episodes.

T-shirt of the day: Yes I’m a bitch…just not yours.

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Last night I took 2 sleeping pills and went to bed at 11pm.  I fell asleep quickly, only got up once during the night (at 5:30am), finally waking up at 8am and getting up at 8:30am.  Yay!

The Colombian Peso closed for the week at 2,922 to the US Dollar.

Teresa and I left the apt at 10:15 and walked over to La Vaquita to load up on groceries.  While she was there I made a quick trip to Todos Drogas where I bought a small bottle of Centrum Silver (20,588) for her and small bottles of Magnesium (12,500) and Melatonin (13,900) for me.  I’m hoping these will help me get to sleep at night.  We were back at the apt by 11:45 - just in time for my game.

Watching the Bears game I had to disconnect and reconnect my Slingbox connection several times.

At halftime the Chicago Bears were leading the Tennessee Titans 12-0.  So far so good, except for knee injuries to Cameron Meredith (WR) and Patrick Scales (long snapper).

I did a speed test and got 10.42 download and 2.16 upload.

The Bears won 19-7 and I had fewer Slingbox problems in the 2^nd half.

Teresa and Laura tried my A&W root beer.  Teresa liked it but Laura didn’t.

Just before 7pm Teresa went to the church San Marcos with her mother while Laura and I were watching a movie.

T-shirt of the day: You want to see something really scary?  Ask my daughter on a date.

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Last night I took 2 sleeping pills and went to bed at 11:30pm.  I fell asleep quickly, only got up once during the night (at 6am), finally getting up at 7am.  Yay!

I had a small bowl of cereal for breakfast.  MT met us at the apt at 9am and we quickly caught a taxi to Mall Laureles.  (On the way I saw a sign that indicated that they are on phase 1.1.B of construcing Parque del Rio.)

At Mall Laureles the ladies had hot chocolate.  I walked over to the pet store where I saw several Pomeranian puppies for sale for 2,500,000 pesos and kittens for free.

The van left at 10:05 and we made our usual stop at the restaurant.  I had my usual calentao (scrambled eggs, beans, and rice) and then I made a trip to the restroom.  I met the others back at the van and Teresa informed me that the guy with the 2 5-gallon buckets of peaches made a pass at her – he said he was looking for a girlfriend.  Lol.

Just outside Santafe the driver stopped outside a finca.  She slowly backed up and we saw a sign that said “finca for rent”.  There was no phone number listed but a man soon walked out on the driveway.  He invited us in and we took a look at the place – 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, swimming pool.  When we left I asked how much and was told he wanted 1,000,000 a day.  HaHa!

At the resort I was sitting playing chess on my cell phone with coconut lemonade sitting on the end table next to me.  A cat slowly came up and started licking the coconut pieces off the top edge.

At 2:30 I had just finished lunch when it started raining.  The temperature started to drop and it was difficult to find a place where there wasn’t a cold breeze.

We left at 5pm (2 hours early) and stopped at some gated community.  We looked at an apartment that was for rent for 220,000 a day.  We looked at another for 250,000 a day.  I heard the dates December 22^nd and January 3^rd mentioned so I guess Teresa wants a Christmas/New Years place to party.  One of the bedrooms had a queen sized bed and the other had 2 bunkbeds.

I understand we would be joined by Wilson, Martha, MT, Daniela, etc. so the cost would be split 4 ways.

We made our usual stop at the restaurant and I saw on TV that the countdown has started – the Pope arrives in 10 days and some number of hours.

We pulled out of the restaurant parking lot at 5 minutes to 8pm and we arrived at the tunnel with 2 minutes to spare – it closes from 8pm to 8:30pm every night for maintenance.

We were back at the apt by 9:15.

An email from Medellin         Living stated that The Holy Father is visiting Medellín on September 9 and will be conducting mass at the Enrique Olaya Herrera airport near Poblado.  It will be the third time the Pope has visited the Colombia. In 1968 Pope Paul VI visited and in 1986 Pope John Paul II visited 10 cities in Colombia.  

T-shirt of the day: It’s a beautiful day…to leave me alone.

Seeking out Colombia's Natural Wonders - Medellin Living

Seeking out Colombia’s natural wonders

Wax palms, the national tree of Colombia, in Cocora Valley. (Gwen Stokols)

August 24

Our readers share tales of their ramblings around the world.

Who: Gwen Stokols (the author) of Alexandria, Va., and her nephew, Evan Kopf of Closter, N.J.

Where, when, why: Before beginning a full-time job, my nephew elected to teach English in Colombia for a year and I decided to visit him while he was there. The guidebooks were enticing; I originally thought the visit would be for 10 days, but I kept adding additional places to my itinerary. My trip ultimately clocked in at 15 days.

The author and her nephew, Evan Kopf, at Cabo de la Vela. (Gwen Stokols)

Colombia, with its varied climate and topography, is filled with natural wonders. With that in mind, I skipped Bogota and Medellin, and focused on less populous destinations. I was especially excited to explore La Guajira, one of the most beautiful but least prosperous regions in the country.

Evan and I decided to meet in beautiful Cartagena. From there, we traveled east across the northern coast, parallel to the Caribbean Sea . At our first stop, we stayed near Santa Marta and hiked Tayrona National Park. After that, we stopped in Riohacha and met members of the Wayuu tribe, the indigenous people of Colombia, who primarily live in La Guajira. From Riohacha, we ventured to Cabo de La Vela, on the northeastern coast near Venezuela. After that, we flew to the city of Cali, in the coffee-growing region of the country. During our week in Cali, we drove into the Andes for an overnight in Salento.

Highlights and high points: Seeing the wax palms shooting out of the grassy mountains in the Cocora Valley was jaw-dropping. Palm trees are already unusual in a cool, mountainous climate, and these skinny trees can be 200 feet high! Because of the altitude, fog hangs low over the mountains and imparts an otherworldly feel that reminded me of “Jurassic Park.”

Cultural connection or disconnect: When we returned our rental car, the company’s owner started telling my nephew a story in Spanish. My Spanish had improved over the week, but was still not good enough to understand a conversation at standard Colombian speed. So when Evan gasped at one point in the story, I made him repeat it to me. He translated that after we left the rental office the previous day, a man tried to rob the woman at knifepoint as she was leaving her office! I gasped, too. Fortunately, she was not hurt and the robbery was unsuccessful. When we left her office, the lady and I hugged. After that story, she was like family.

Biggest laugh or cry: We were almost back to Cali after our thrilling hike near Salento when we missed the exit for the city. It should have been simple to turn around and resume course, but the GPS started behaving badly. Eventually, it directed us onto a three-mile dirt road, at the end of which we were supposed to return to the main road. Our progress driving the little compact on the muddy road was extremely slow because I was worried about the car’s suspension as we went over ruts and bumps. Then we started encountering puddles too wide to drive around. I eyeballed the first one and concluded that it was okay to drive through.

Finally, we saw the intersection where our dirt road met the highway, a few hundred feet in the distance. Too bad there was one more puddle blocking our path.We both got out of the car and scrutinized the dark pool of water. Staring at the puddle yielded no answers, so I dipped my foot in; my foot was submerged before it touched the sticky bottom. It wasn’t dangerously deep or part of a running stream of water. But we imagined what it would be like to call the car rental lady from the middle of our puddle, stuck in the mud and needing a tow truck. With those happy thoughts, we opted for “better safe than sorry” and turned our poor, mud-caked car around.

How unexpected: Without fail, every Colombian I met was warm and helpful. Over and over again, we interacted with people who were happy to answer questions, provide directions or just generally assist us in tracking down whatever we were looking for.

The other surprise was how hard it was to mail a postcard. When you ask Colombians about stamps, they don’t understand what you mean, because no one seems to send letters. The post office is a private enterprise, but is in no way more efficient than ours. After asking numerous people and getting a variety of answers, the task ultimately fell to Evan to mail my postcards after I left. They arrived in the United States five weeks later.

Favorite memento or memory: Two weeks was a long time to travel with anyone. The fact that my nephew and I were still enjoying our time together at the end of the trip was impressive, as was his patience and tolerance of my foibles. The greatest gift, without a doubt, was sharing the experience.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Last night I took 2 sleeping pills and went to bed at 11pm.  I fell asleep quickly, only got up once during the night (about 5:30am), fell back asleep quickly, finally waking/getting up at 8am.  Yay!

I watched the first 45 minutes of the Today show and left for the gym.  While I was working on the Lat Pulldown machine an old man came up to me and asked me if I lost some keys.  I told him I didn’t think so as they should be in my locker.  (But I recalled feeling when I put my stuff in the locker that something seemed to be missing.)  After I finished with that machine I checked my locker and my keys weren’t there.  I stopped at the front desk where I saw them sitting on the counter.  I pointed to them and to myself.  The young lady got a book and showed me where to sign and I soon had them back.  I did all my exercises except the Leg Press and the Abdominal machine, including my usual time on the treadmill, in 2 hours.

Among new US movie releases I might want to see the rerelease of Terminator 2: Judgment Day (8.5).

Locally, War for the Planet of the Apes (7.9) is playing at Oviedo at 6:35, and Churchill (7.1) is playing at Mayorca at 4:40pm.

I met Chuck at El Pastelito at 3pm.  While we were talking an old man came up to us carrying a scale.  You can weigh yourself for 500 pesos.  I gave him 1,000 pesos and I weighed in at 73 kilos or 161 pounds.  That’s down from 80 kilos or 176 pounds 5 months ago.  Not sure how accurate that is – I guess it’s almost time for another weigh in at the gym.

What I learned talking to Chuck:  He recommended learning Spanish using Spanish with Paul.  He also recommended Narcos on Netflix.  I told him Teresa wasn’t interested in any more Pablo Escobar but I could try to get her to watch the first episode and then she might get hooked.  He also recommended I take melatonin and magnesium for my sleep problems.  I’ll see if they have that at Fedco and if not I’ll order it from GNC.

We left the bakery and walked over to the park.  They had a lot of arts & crafts and food booths set up and 2 music stages.  They were already playing music and there were a lot of people in attendance.  Chuck said there are a lot of booths set up by city hall and on the next street over.  We walked over there and there were a lot of tables and chairs set up (even fancy barrel chairs and couches) but no people using them as yet.

We people watched for a few minutes and then I asked Chuck if there was a bakery nearby his house we could stop at.  There was one across the street so we stopped and he had his usual tinto (straight coffee) with 2 bunuelos and I had my usual café con leche with 1 bunuelo.  About 20 minutes later I looked up and saw a t-shirt that said New Orleans.  I was about to tell Chuck when I noticed that it was his wife Darnelle.  She sat with us for awhile and then we left and walked to the park.  A pretty young lady in a nice red dress but “dirty” bare feet approached us.  After talking to Darnell in Spanish for a minute she held up a sign and about all I understood was “street person” and “change”.  I didn’t have any change so I handed her a 2,000 note.  Chuck explained that this was exactly the wrong thing to do because she was explaining that we shouldn’t give money to street people because there’s an agency they can go to for help.  (It turned out that the “dirty” feet were painted on.)

I said goodbye to Chuck and Darnell and walked to Exito where I picked up a few things Teresa said we needed.

I understand if the weather is warm tomorrow we’re going to Santafe de Antioquia so Teresa can work on her tan.

About 7pm Laura and I were watching a movie when Teresa suggested we go to Gourmet Pizza.  We wanted to finish the movie first – besides traffic outside was still pretty heavy.  By the time the movie ended at 8pm traffic had dissipated.  We walked outside and immediately flagged down a taxi.

The restaurant was pretty busy but we got 3 seats near each other.  I pointed out to Teresa the pizza I wanted on the menu but 10 minutes later they brought me something else with chicken on it.  Apparently Teresa goofed up my order.

In time we all got the pizza we wanted – me with a black Te Hatsu which is black tea and lemonade.  The total for 2 slices of pizza and a drink for each of us came to 65,000 pesos or $22.

T-shirt of the day: You inspire my inner serial killer.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Last night was the worst yet.  I took 3 cannabis drops and went to bed at 11:15.  Every once in a while I checked my watch and the last time I recall it was 2:22am.  I finally fell asleep some time later (3am? 3:30am?), waking up at 6:30 and getting up at 7:45.

We received a letter from the real estate agency.  I believe it said that according to our contract we have to give 3 months advance notice before moving out of our existing apartment.  It might be stricter than that – it’s possible we can only move out on May 1^st and we’d have to notify them by February 1^st.

I watched the first hour of the Today show and left the apt at 10:15.

I walked down to the metro and waited 5 minutes for the next train.  At the San Antonio station I transferred to the west line and got off at Estacion Estadio.  I rented a bicycle using my Civica card, took a path south to Estacion Suramerica then headed south.  I turned around when I got to Calle 33.  I made a side trip to the chess league office.  They have a 7-round tournament coming up from September 6^th to the 11^th but I think it’s too strong for me so I’m going to skip this one.  Plus I don’t want to miss any Bears games.  The whole route took me about and hour.  I checked my bicycle in at the Stadium Station and walked over to El Viejo y El Pancake for lunch.  I had 2 eggs over easy, hash browns (which take 30 minutes to prepare), sausage, and orange juice for 10,500 pesos (about $3.50).

I walked back to the Stadium but they didn’t have any bicycles to rent.  I walked the other direction over to Calle 44 where there is an automated bicycle stand.  The machine asked for my Pin number and I entered the number I usually use but it didn’t accept it.  It said I have to go online and reset my pin.  I walked back to the Stadium where I took the metro back to Envigado.  It was raining lightly as I exited the station.  I stopped in the rain and bought a kilo (2.2#) of strawberries for 12,000 pesos (about $4).  I was back at the apt by 3pm and MT was visiting.

About 5:30 Teresa prompted me to have a bowl of cereal with banana slices.  Afterwards she told me she wants to go out for pizza.  What?  Talk about bad timing.

I tried to update my pin online with Encicla but I kept getting a circular reference.  I guess I’m going to have to go back to Alpujarra to see what’s going on.

At one point Teresa said “Imaginate” and I asked Laura what that means in English.  She translated it to “go figure” but I don’t think that is exactly right.  I think “imagine!” might be closer to the right meaning.

I solved puzzles on Chess Magnet School for 30 minutes and I’m 18% towards my next promotion to Commodore (17/21).

T-shirt of the day: A friend tricked me into going to Wimbledon by telling me it was a men’s singles event.

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Last night I took 2 sleeping pills and went to bed at 10:45.  It took me over an hour to fall asleep.  I got up once during the night and I finally woke/got up just before 8am.

I watched the first 45 minutes of the Today show and then left for the gym.  I did all my exercises in an hour and 55 minutes.

Back at the apt I logged onto my laptop and called Social Security using magicJack.  I was told there is a 35 minute wait.  I drank my protein water, took my shower and then waited for them to answer.  I’m glad I waited because it only took 20-25 minutes for them to answer.

I changed my mailing address (Miami, FL to Weston, FL) without any problem.  I had a couple more questions for the SS rep and I learned:

·       Since the only address they have for me is in Florida:

Ø   I should be able to open a MySocialSecurity account online.

Ø   I should receive a Proof of Life form from them if it’s necessary for me to send them the form.

·       SS has a special telephone number for individuals living overseas – (410) 965-8036.

I took a short nap from 2:45 to 3:30.

I watched the movie Zodiac (7.7) on Netflix using my laptop but it was often “jumpy”.

T-shirt of the day: I think I’ll just lie down…

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Last night at 11:15 I took 2 cannabis drops and went to bed.  I was still awake 2 hours later.  I got up once during the night and I finally woke/got up at 8:15.

I watched the first hour of the Today show, dressed and left the apt.  I walked over to Tienda D1 where I bought a couple packages of chicken.  (One package is for today’s lunch and the other will go in the freezer.)

I dropped that off at the apt and then stopped at the internet café where I had a few pages printed.  I then went to Exito where I bought a box of Band-Aids, a can of pineapple, a head of lettuce and a few ripe bananas.

Back at the apt I started making my calls.  After going through a change of address with 4 companies I discovered the zip code I’d been using was coming up as Fort Lauderdale instead of Weston, FL.  I emailed Victoria about that and she responded with a slightly different zip code so I had to contact the 4 all over again.

I finally got all the changes made except Social Security who informed me that all their operators were busy and to call back later.

I took a short nap from 3:30 to 4:15.

I forgot to mention that a few weeks ago I finished Michael Connelly’s Lost Light: Harry Bosch Series #9 and then downloaded his The Narrows: Harry Bosch Series #10.  In fact I’m past the halfway point on the latter.

I solved puzzles for 40 minutes on Chess Magnet School and was promoted to Captain.

T-shirt of the day: I’d probably pause my game for you.

Monday, August 21, 2017

Today is another Colombian holiday!

Last night at 11:30 I took my single cannabis drop and went to bed.  It took me 90 minutes to fall asleep.  I woke up at 3:30 and made my single trip to the bathroom.  It took me another 30 minutes to fall back asleep finally waking/getting up at 8am.

I watched the first hour of the Today show and then left for the gym.  I ran into Charles and he tried to explain to me where there’s a nice hike up to a mall near Parque Salado.  I did all but 2 exercises in 2 hours.

On my way back to my apt I ran into Chuck and his son Carlos.  Carlos is taking a red eye back to the States tonight.  He waited until the last minute to buy gifts to take back with him but I think the “souvenir” stores are going to be closed today.  I was walking down the street with them, next to the street that’s being repaired, when suddenly my foot went down below the level of the sidewalk.  I caught myself before it went too far and I saw that I had stepped into a hole about 4’ deep.  There was a wood pallet next to it but it wasn’t covering the hole – until we moved it.  Luckily, not only wasn’t I hurt, I didn’t even get a scratch.

Back at the apt I took a nap for about 45 minutes.

After lunch, about 2:30 I tried making a pinhole “camera” by putting a piece of plain white paper on the floor and holding a smaller piece of paper with a tiny hole on it some distance away.  I guess we’re too far south to see even a partial eclipse.

I went with Teresa and Laura to Oviedo mall where Laura found a pair of shoes for 182,900 pesos ($63.80).  Again they charged my account in dollars instead of pesos.  Drat!

Since we were in Oviedo we went upstairs to check out the movie theater times.  It was 4:15 and Annabelle: The Creation (7.1) was playing at 4:50.  I bought 3 preferential tickets for 57,000 pesos (about $19) while the ladies went down to Crepes & Waffles.  We all shared 2 ice cream sundaes for 18,500 pesos (about $6.50).

Back upstairs I bought a medium popcorn and 2 medium sodas (Combo #2) for 19,500 (about $6.50).

The theater was pretty crowded and we all enjoyed the scary movie, although it was quite cold inside.

After the movie we made a quick stop at Carulla where Teresa bought a package of croutons for lunch tomorrow.

We quickly caught a taxi and were back at the apt by 7:30.

T-shirt of the day: There should be a t-shirt for that.

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Last night I took my single cannabis drop and went to bed at 12:30am.  I fell asleep rather quickly, only got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up at 9:30.  Hmmm! Maybe the cannabis drops work better than my sleeping pills.  Time will tell!

Today was very cloudy with rain on and off all day.  By Colombian standards this was a cold day.

We all just vegged out in the apartment today.

I completed puzzles for 30 minutes on Chess Magnet School and I am 89% towards my promotion to Captain.

At 11:30 I took my single cannabis drop and went to bed.

T-shirt of the day: I have OCD & ADD.  So everything has to be perfect…but not for very long.

Saturday, August 19, 2017

So, last night I decided to try the cannabis drops alone without my sleeping pills.  I held a spoon while Teresa poured a drop onto it.  Only thing is that 3-4 drops came out so at least she knows how difficult it is to get just one drop.  We started over with another spoon and she managed to carefully pour out one drop which I licked off the spoon.  It took me about an hour to fall asleep, I got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up at 8am.  But no dizziness!  Yay!

At 8:15 the leaf blowers started.

Well, I see that Steve Bannon, DT’s White House strategist, bit the dust.  Can’t the president get along with anyone?

I left the apt at 10am, did my gym exercises in 2 hours, including 5 ½ minutes on the treadmill at speed 5 ½.  

My eyes felt very tired today so I spent a lot of time lying in bed with my eyes covered.

I googled “when is Colombia going to have the next solar eclipse” and apparently we’re going to see a partial solar eclipse here on Monday from 1:30 to 3:40 in the afternoon.

Twenty minutes before game time I did a speed test and got 10.37 download and 2.18 upload. 

Despite the supposed high speed, I experienced a lot of buffering for the first hour.  I wonder if I was competing with the neighbors for band width.  I had to disconnect and reconnect many times.  The Bears were ahead 17-7 at the half.

About 11pm I noticed it was raining.  The Bears won a close one 24-23 over the Arizona Cardinals.  I enjoyed watching the game while snacking on peanuts and root beer.

The Colombian Peso closed for the week at 2,987 to the US Dollar.

T-shirt of the day: I’m not a complete idiot…  Some parts are missing.

.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Well, last night I took my sleeping pills and my drops.  The drops taste like $%*& anyway but last night they tasted particularly foul.  (Spoiler Alert: I think I took too many!)

It was the night before when I took this new batch of cannabis drops for the first time.  I mentioned getting up only once during the night.  What I didn’t mention is that I felt dizzy on my trip to the bathroom.

Last night I only got up once but again felt some dizziness.  I woke up at 7am and got up at 8am.  My dizziness was even worse.  I sat down at the kitchen table and Teresa served me an omelette and toast, I had a couple bites but then couldn’t take it anymore.  I went back to bed for a couple hours and then got up and finished my breakfast.

I then went back to bed until the dizziness passed – about noon.  I changed clothes, took half an Excedrin, left the apt and met Chuck and his son Carlos at El Pastelito at 1pm.

I walked them down to Classic Diner where we each had a burger and coconut lemonade.  We had a nice talk for over an hour.  The total bill came to 87,080 ($10 each) including tax and tip.

I walked with them back to the park where we said goodbye.  I thanked him for all the goodies he brought me and I gave him his 25 or so issues of Condorito.

I played 2 games against somebody new and he beat me both times in the endgame.

Among new US movie releases, I would like to see The Hitman’s Bodyguard (7.2) and maybe Marjorie Prime (6.8).  Locally, I would like to see Annabelle: The Creation (7.1) playing at Oviedo and Santafe and War of the Planet of the Apes (7.9) playing at Oviedo at 5:50pm.

At 4:45 Teresa informed me it was raining.

Teresa went to her mother’s apartment to visit with a friend she hadn’t seen in some time.

I thought I heard English coming from Laura’s room.  She was watching George Carlin do standup on Youtube with Spanish subtitles.  She asked me to connect the laptop to the TV and we watched a few episodes of him followed by some Robin Williams.

I took my drops and went to bed at 11:15.

T-shirt of the day

She: “You never listen to me, you only hear what you want to here.” 

He: “Sure I’ll have a beer.”

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Last night I took my sleeping pills and cannabis drops and quickly fell asleep.  I only got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up at 7:45.

At 9:45 Teresa noticed we don’t have running water.

I watched the first 90 minutes of the Today show and I left the apt at 10:45.  I saw a metro bus pass by as I was walking down the stairs so I decided not to wait 10-15 minutes for the next one.  

I walked down to the metro station where I chatted with Herman for a few minutes.  I took the metro to San Antonio, transferred to the west line and got off at Estadio Station.  I walked the block to El Viejo y El Pancake and found it closed.  Sigh!  (Later I saw on Facebook that they’re closed until Saturday because they are searching for a new house.)  Robert and his wife Janette arrived about 10 minutes later.  We walked across the street to Piccolo’s Pizza.  Robert had pizza, Janette had pasta and I had their Caesar salad with chicken.  We talked for about 90 minutes.  Robert picked up the check.  One of the things I learned is that Robert recommended the Angus burger at Mis Carnes.  Robert has to return to the US but he’ll contact me when he returns.

We said goodbye and I walked to the chess office but they didn’t have any new chess tournaments posted.  I walked back to the metro station and took it to Envigado.  I bought a kilo of strawberries for 12,000 pesos then had a cup of cold orange juice at Herman’s stand (without Herman) for 2,000 pesos.

Back at the apt Teresa gave me information on another tour.  This time its September 18^th – 22^nd at a town/area called Llanos Orientales.  I understand it’s hot there, it’s a 12 hour bus ride but over level terrain for 750,000 pesos for the two of us.  I gave her the okay to book it.

I solved puzzles on Chess Magnet School for 30 minutes and I am 

84% towards my promotion to Captain.

I watched season 1, episode 2 of Breaking Bad on Netflix.

T-shirt of the day: Waking up everyday seems a little excessive.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Last night I went to bed at 11:45, got up twice during the night but otherwise slept well, finally waking/getting up at 7:45.  The two times I got up I checked my iPod and the button still wasn’t green.  Same when I got up in the morning but I tried it and it worked so we’ll see how long the battery lasts.

I watched the first 35 minutes of the Today show and left for the gym.  I enjoyed listening to my oldies for the 2 hours and 5 minutes that I did my exercises, including 5 ½ minutes at speed 5.5 on the treadmill.  I noticed a new girl today – early twenties, slim, tallish, pretty, with the usual long dark hair.  She had large boobs with a lot of skin showing.  I don’t know how the skimpy top she was wearing held them up.  Either she has implants or that top is a miracle of structural engineering - probably the former.

Back at the apt I received an email from Chuck – they’re back in Colombia.  I suggested we meet for lunch on Friday.

It’s very overcast and I’m hearing some thunder so we’ll see if anything develops.  By 1:20 it started raining lightly but didn’t last long.

I left the apt at 2:15, caught a bus just as it was leaving the downtown station, and was at MBE by 2:55.  Alex was waiting for me on a bench outside.

It started raining as we walked to a little restaurant a block away but soon stopped.  We talked about the MBE changes and his search for a new apartment while he had a beer and I had a café con leche.  He said that the new mailing office – Envios Market – will be $2 less expensive than MBE.  He mentioned that his health has improved greatly since he moved from San Francisco a few months ago.  He gave me a new bottle of cannabis oil for 20,000 pesos.

We walked back to MBE where we were soon met by his new amiga (friend) that he calls Nana.  We all walked down to Monterrey mall where I bought a mouse for Laura for 55,000 pesos and a mouse pad for another 10,000.  I was surprised to see that she didn’t have one and was just using the finger thingy at the bottom of her keyboard. 

Alex and Nana spent some time looking for something in the mall so at 5:15 I finally said goodbye.  I walked outside and I didn’t want to walk back up the hill to catch a bus.  I had the sudden thought that I could take the metro from the El Poblado station (I was standing at the base of it) to Envigado and take a bus from there and it would only cost me about 3,000 pesos.  I looked up and saw the long line heading for the station and I knew it would be like a cattle car inside so I discarded that idea.  I quickly caught a taxi that dropped me off at Parque Envigado for 10,600 pesos (about $3.50).  I added 50mil to Teresa’s cell phone, made a withdrawal at Citibank, bought 2 bags of milk at the corner store and was back at the apt by 6:30.

When I walked inside it was like Christmas day.  Chuck stopped by and brought me 2 bottles of root beer, 3 packages (2 different brands) of peanut brittle, a large package of salted in the shell peanuts and for Teresa a can of creole cream style red beans, a jambalaya rice dinner mix, a package of creole seasoning, and a bottle of Louisiana hot sauce.  We’re going to need Chuck or his wife’s help to cook that.

At 8pm it started raining lightly but again didn’t last long.

I read an article where Medellin Living states that Colombia has changed its visa rules.  The one that applies to me is that migrant visas (specifically certified pension income) are now granted a 3-year duration where before it was just one year.  That doesn’t really help me since I’m at the 4 ½ year mark and will soon be qualifying for the 5-year resident visa.  It did clarify that I am not allowed to work in Colombia.

At 8:45 it started raining again, this time pretty hard.

T-shirt of the day: A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Last night I took my sleeping pills and went to bed at 11:45.  I fell asleep after a short wait.  I got up twice during the night finally waking up at 7am and getting up at 7:30.

Teresa is meeting with her mother this morning to organize her medical records.  Later she’s going to the gym, coming home and taking a shower, and going with her mother for another doctor’s appointment.  So, I’m pretty much on my own today.

I watched the first hour of the Today show.  I left the apt just after 10am and walked to $efecty where I paid the Une (wifi) bill for August of 82,000 pesos.

I stopped at Exito on the way back (short lines) and picked up 3 more packages of the Cuban bread that appears to work so well for making hot toasted sandwiches.

Teresa came back at 11:30.

I solved puzzles on Chess Magnet School for 30 minutes and I’m now 58% towards my next promotion to Captain.

I signed up for a 4 week trial period of the Washington Post for 99 cents.

I received a WhatsApp message from Laura and we’re going to meet at the restaurant at 1:30.

Teresa and I left the apt at 1:15.  We went separate ways when we got near the army military police building.  At Deli Hoy I explained I was waiting for Laura, got myself a cup of juice and sat down.  She arrived 5 minutes later.  For 11,000 pesos (about $3.75) I had soup (carrot), salad, French fries, mixed vegetables, beef, chicken breast, a small slab of ribs, and a little chocolate bar for dessert.

We walked back to the apt, I picked up a few things and headed out the door by 2:20.  In downtown Envigado I quickly was on a bus to El Poblado.  I got off when I saw Calle 23 and quickly found the MBE office.  The young lady working there didn’t speak English.  I told her they have a package and document for me.  She explained it’s at the old office.  Sigh!  She told me they won’t make the switchover until next Monday.  (It would have been nice had they told me that before.)  She gave me her business card and I understood her name is on the card – Sandra Patricia Mejia.  Interesting, another Sandra, another Patricia and another Mejia.

I walked across the street and quickly caught a Sabaneta bus.  I got off 14 blocks later in front of the old MBE office.  The old Mail Boxes Etc sign is covered over but they don’t have a new one yet for Envios Market.

I found Nobraska inside and I told her I just came from the new MBE location and they didn’t have my package and document.  She gave me my package and I removed the little box that was inside and left the packaging behind.  I paid 7,500 pesos for the extra shipping cost.  They also gave me my August issue of Chess Life magazine.  She explained they won’t switch sites until tomorrow.  (Notice that’s a different story than I got from Sandra at the new MBE location.)  I also gave her the self addressed stamped letter I have to return to one of my pension companies and she charged me 32,500 pesos (about $11) to get it to Miami (a month at the cheapest rate).  I complained I’ll have to change all my MBE addresses to their Envios Market address and because of who knows what time delay there might be I’ll have to have both accounts open for awhile.  Nobraska told me she’ll give me a month free so I asked for September.  (Later I recalled that Citibank will only do a change of address if I have a letter from the US embassy.  Sigh!)

Outside I walked across the street and quickly caught a taxi to El Tesoro mall.  I arrived at the dentist’s office 20 minutes early for my 4pm appointment.  Dr. Rendon was with another patient and he finally took me at 4:30.  I got 2 procedures done in the next hour for 220,000 pesos (about $75).  I don’t recall what the procedures are called but I have large spaces between the usually visible part of the tooth and my gums.  I’m going to have 6 more done.  My next appointment is Wednesday, August 30^th at 4pm.

I waited in line for 5-10 minutes for a taxi and quickly (traffic was pretty light) was back at the apt by 6:15.

I received an email from Alex – he has my resupply of Cannabis drops.  Yay!  We’re making plans to meet tomorrow afternoon in El Poblado.

I finally was successful at attacking my iPod (loose plug) to my laptop and it downloaded my 287 oldies in a couple minutes.  Now I just have to wait a few hours for my iPod to fully charge.

I watched the movie Drive (7.8), from beginning to end, on Direct TV.  It ended just after 11:30 and the light on my iPod still was yellow.  It’s supposed to turn to green when fully, or close to fully, charged.  The instructions said it could take at least 3 hours and it had been just a few minutes short of that so I left it connected to my turned on laptop and went to bed.

T-shirt of the day: I’m not the type of person that you should put on speaker phone.