Sunday, January 28, 2018

I didn’t hear Laura come home at 1:30 (or so she says).

I woke/got up at 8am.

It’s a cool and very overcast morning so I dressed in jeans with one of my thicker t-shirts.

While having my usual breakfast at Carbon de Leña I watched workers remove one of the large white poles that were used (along with attached lines) to support the Christmas decorations.

Walking down the hill past the park behind the library I observed 2 or 3 dozen teenage girls having a water balloon fight.

In Home Center I walked around and finally found the heated shower heads (there is probably a better word for them).  They come in 110 or 220 volts.  I would imagine 220 volts would be used for things like the refrigerator, washing machine, and dryer, but this is Colombia so who knows.  (Back at the apartment the circuit breakers say 20 or 30 on them so I don’t know if 20 relates to 110 and 30 relates to 220.  Another problem is I can’t just remove the current shower head because it doesn’t come straight out, it bends at an angle of about 45 degrees.)

On one of my trips going up the escalator I ran into Sandra from the gym.  I talked to her awhile and learned she needs to have surgery of the vesticula – but we couldn’t figure out what that would be in English.  Of course I wished her well.  (Later my brother told me it is the gall bladder.)

When I left Home Center I walked around the block and talked to a young Colombian guard (interestingly, who had green eyes) about how to get to the Smartfit gym.  Following her directions I continued around the building, entered glass double doors, and walked towards the back to the elevators.  Notice anything unusual about the elevator buttons?

INSERT PHOTO HERE

I took the elevator up to the 6^th floor, walked around a corner and entered the gym.  I explained to the young lady working there that I have membership in the Envigado Park Smartfit location and I would like to look around.  She buzzed me in and I walked around the gym.  It appears to be all on one floor with a lot of new machines besides the ones I’m used to using in my gym.

I got a little lost coming down on the elevator.  I took it down to S2 and I needed to get off at S1 (the ‘S’ stands for ‘soltano’ which means ‘basement’).

I continued around the outside of the mall to Exito.  While waiting in line to get a medium coffee at Juan Valdez, Teresa called.  She told me she ran out of money and Esmeralda doesn’t have any money in her Bancolombia account.  (I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do on a Sunday.)  I told her to call Laura so she can explain to me how I can get money to her.

I finished reading Michael Connelly’s The Gods of Guilt (Mickey Haller #5) and downloaded his The Burning Room Harry Bosch #17).

After I finished my coffee I picked up a package of Greek yogurt that I haven’t been able to find recently at the Exito closer to our apartment.

I walked back to the apt and found Laura had already talked to Teresa.  I understand Esmeralda doesn’t remember/have her account number in Bancolombia so I guess we’re waiting for some reason for tomorrow; maybe so she can get it.  I told Laura to tell her that depositing money into her Bancolombia account would be best but otherwise I could send money via Western Union if they have an office there.

I read online that Philadelphia Eagles players have been refused reservations to Minnesota restaurants.  Maybe that will teach Eagles fans to be more polite.

The Colombian Peso closed at 2,808 to the US Dollar.  The peso has been “falling” lately compared to the dollar.  Actually, what this means is the peso is getting stronger and/or the dollar is getting weaker.  This is probably closely tied to the fact that the price of oil is increasting.

At 1:30 Laura called Frisby and ordered Combo #2 plus a soda for each of us for 46,000 pesos ($16).

The skies have mostly cleared with a few fluffy clouds.

My brother called via Whatsapp and we talked awhile about his upcoming trip and a few other issues.

Laura and I left the apt at 6:15 and quickly caught a bus to El Poblado.  We got off right in front of Krispy Kreme.  We each got a couple donuts and a drink for 30mil ($10).  We got seats outside on a nice evening.  We heard a fire truck coming and it stopped right across the street.  When we had finished I told Laura I would be right back and I ducked into Starbucks next door.  I confirmed that they have the White Mocca that Jose recommended I try.  I also noticed they have cinnamon rolls, carrot cake, and blueberry muffins.  As I was walking out I heard someone call my name and behind me was Jose himself.  I brought him over to say hi to Laura.  He soon left and we walked across the street where we saw an ambulance and a fallen motorcycle right behind it so I can only assume that there was someone lying inside the ambulance.  We walked a block up to Oviedo and waited for a bus.  We saw lots of Envigado and other buses go by but when finally a Sabaneta bus came, it quickly filled up with other people who had been waiting.  A few minutes later Jose showed up.  We chatted for a minute and then he headed over to McDonalds.  I think it was a total of 30 minutes before a Sabaneta bus came that we were able to get seats on.

We were back at the apt by 8pm.

Teresa called again and I understand she bought me a pair of gym shoes and because things are so inexpensive she wants to buy some other things.  I told her I would put 400mil into Esmeralda’s account by 10am tomorrow.

T-shirt of the day: Keep calm and say I do.

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Last night I slept well despite getting up twice, finally waking/getting up at 8am.

I picked up a free adn newspaper, dropped off some old papers for recycling outside Exito, then stopped at the bakery for a blueberry muffin and was told they are an afternoon item.

I had my usual breakfast at Carbon de Leña.  In the newspaper articles included:

·       They (government?) are 20 million dollars short of completing a tunnel to the east.

·       Today you can receive a free vacination.

·       Rex Tillerson (sounds like it’s a country singer or cowboy but he’s Secretary of State) will visit Colombia in February.

·       The local (Medellin) soccer team Atletico Nacional is changing their jersey style.

·       Something about a new series starring the guy who plays Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead.

I walked across the street to the internet café where I had a chess game printed out from my September Chess Life magazine.  It was a game that America’s youngest grandmaster, Samuel Sevian, played at the Continental Championship in Medellin.

I noticed that men were taking down the lines that were connected to the poles they used for the Christmas decorations.  Also, I saw a tent where it appears they are giving free vaccinations.

I walked over to Confama where I dropped off 3 AA batteries at their recycling station.

Back at the apt I read that the Senior Bowl is being played today starting at 2:30 Eastern time so I decided to go to Pricesmart before lunch rather than after.

I quickly caught a taxi that took me directly to the door (Pricesmart) for 13mil.  Their hours are, basically, daily from 9am – 8pm.  Inside I was stopped by a security girl and she found me Andres, a guy who spoke good English.  I filled out an information form for myself and for Teresa.  I then waited in line for about 5 minutes, paid 75,000 pesos for my 1^st year’s membership, they took my photo and I got my card.  I understood Teresa will get her card when she comes for the first time and they take her photo.

I spent about 30 minutes walking around and here are some of the interesting things I found:

·       Crest toothpaste

·       Charmin toilet paper

·       Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup (is it better than Aunt Jemima?)

·       Pecan halves

·       Bisquick for waffles and pancakes

·       Vlasic hamburger dill chips

·       Kraft macaroni & cheese (individual microwavable? cups)

·       Wrigley’s doublemint gum

·       Carrot cake (whole, looked delicious, 14mil ($5))

·       Knotts Berry Farm strawberry preserves

·       Planters crunchy peanut butter

·       Packages of Butterfingers, Baby Ruth, Milkyi Way, Mars bars

·       Kellogg’s Raisin Bran (I wish it was Post)

·       Ritz Crackers

At the checkout there were long lines with full carts.  I tracked down Andres and asked him:

Q: Why don’t you have an express line? A: There is a cashier by the electronics section where you can make small volume purchases.  (I didn’t recall seeing that.)

Q: Do you take credit and debit cards? A: We take all cards.

Q: When would be the best time to come when there are the fewest people? A: M-F from 9am to 10:30am.

As I was leaving almost everyone was taking their purchases (with their carts) directly to their cars so I had no wait to catch a taxi.

On the way back, as often happens, there were guys handing out small fliers in the street.  The driver took one and immediately started to put it in his wastebasket.  I asked for it and checking it out it appears to be offering a 30% discount for a new love hotel near UPB/Unicentro in Laureles.  Interesting.

Back at the apt I presented the flyer to Laura and we had a good laugh.

At 12:30 she asked me why I’m not getting ready to go out for lunch.  I replied, “because yesterday you told me you wanted to have lunch at 1:30”.  She said she changed her mind to 1pm.  I said, it will take me 5 minutes to get ready since I don’t have to brush my hair, put on makeup, or decide what clothes to wear.  Lol.

We walked over to Classic Diner which just happens to look like diners, although this one is fancier, in the US.  We each ordered a milkshake and a burger and then I took her over to the pool table for a quick lesson.  Interestingly, everything was there except for the 8 ball.  I showed her how to hold the cue and shoot and I can’t say she’s a natural.  Lol.

After finishing a game we went back to our table and our burgers soon arrived.  They are so thick you have to squeeze the buns together to get it in your mouth.

I couldn’t believe she finished her whole burger and all her fries as I only got close myself.  Everything cost me a little less than 80,000 pesos ($27).  The waiter asked me how to say “la cuenta” in English and I told him “the check” or “the bill” and wrote it down for him.  As we left he said “see you later” in English.

As we walked back to the apt Laura split off and headed to the gym.

Back at the apt I watched some of the Senior Bowl on my slingbox.

I took a nap from 4pm to 5pm. 

On TV they had 2 episodes of The Walking Dead but they were ones I had recently seen.

Laura returned to the apt at 6:30 and a couple minutes later Teresa called.  She sent me a photo of herself sitting next to a statue.

Laura was ready by 8pm, we left the apt, walked down the hill and quickly caught a taxi to Parque Lleras.  When we arrived at Mu (FukinGoodRibs.com) there was a line of about a dozen people.  We waited about 15 minutes for our turn to enter and they gave us a small table in the back.  I understood from the water that there was a 40 minute wait for food.  I said we’d better order then and Laura ordered an orange juice and I a regular Coke with a glass of ice and a small order of ribs to share.  The water brought us a bowl of nacho chips, and a plate with the 4 sauces.  Surprisingly, the ribs arrived not 5 minutes later.  I ate 3 and Laura, who said she wasn’t hungry from lunch, ate 2.  She finished most of the nacho chips and I finished most of the fries.  The total check, including tax and tip, came to 78,000 pesos (about $26).

Before giving up our table I used my Tappsi app to call for a taxi.  They give you the license plate number, the driver’s name and a code you give the driver so he knows you are the one who called for his car.  The driver, William, arrived 5 minutes later and took us directly to the apt.

Laura sequestered herself back in her room and I cleaned my computer table.

I went to bed at 11:30.

T-shirt of the day: Today is my big day.

Friday, January 26, 2018

I fell asleep quickly but woke up at 5am.  For a change, I got up at 5:45 and posted my blog entry for yesterday.

I left the apt at 7am, walked over to Carbon de Leña where I had a breakfast of rice, beans, scrambled eggs and a café con leche for a total of 8,500 pesos ($3).

On my way back I picked up a free adn newspaper, a free Gente newspaper and bought a Q’Hubo with the Condorito inside for Chuck.

I stopped in Exito just as they were opening (8am) and bought some much needed toothpaste.

We left the apt at 1:30 and walked down to La Bahia where we had a nice lunch.  We walked a few blocks to a bus stop where we caught a bus that goes down Avenida Las Vegas.  This time we got off less than a block from the hill we needed to walk up to get to Oviedo mall.

I bought 2 general seating tickets to The Commuter for 30,000 pesos (about $10) and a medium popcorn and large soda for another 18,000 pesos ($6).

Laura really enjoyed the action filled movie.  As we were walking out I saw that The Post is coming soon; I want to see that.

Outside the mall there was quite a crowd waiting to catch buses.  I said to Laura, “if we were smart we would walk back a block or two so we could get on the bus first and maybe even get a seat”.  She said “let’s do it”.

About 3 blocks away we still hadn’t seen a Sabaneta bus come by although we saw several Envigado buses.  Soon we had a few Sabaneta buses pass us that were completely full.  Finally, we got a bus with standing room only although as soon as we got to Oviedo someone right in front of me got off and I got her seat.

I watched another 2 episodes of The Walking Dead on Direct TV.

Laura left the apt for about 45 minutes to get her nails done.  She she returned she called Frisby and ordered ranch burritos for each of us.

Opening today in the USA I would like to see Hostiles (7.2).

Locally, there isn’t anything else I want to see.

As usual I went to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: Holy cow.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

I had a typical night’s sleep last night.

I watched the first 20 minutes of the Today show and then left for biking.  I quickly caught a bus to the metro.  At the stadium station they were out of bicycles so I had to walk down to Calle 44 to check one out. 

I rode to the water park, then checked in my bike and had a juice across the street at Cosechas (sp?).  A few minutes later I checked out the same bike again and rode around to the opposite side of the airport to the main terminal.  On the way I rode past Pricesmart and the southern bus terminal.  Coming back I was concerned I might not have enough time to get back to Calle 44.  (There is a one hour time limit on each check out.)  I got to the Calle 44 bike station with what I estimated was 5 minutes to spare.  Unfortunately all the racks were filled so I couldn’t return the bike.  I rode to the stadium station and checked in my bike.  I asked the girl there if I was late and she checked her phone and said “no”.  I asked how much time I had left and I understood she doesn’t have that information.

I walked over to El Viejo y El Pancake where I saw Robert Grimes.  (I checked my phone and saw that Teresa called me about 3 minutes before I had turned my phone back on.  I tried calling her but got voice mail.)  I had lunch (omelet, bacon, and 2 iced teas) while chatting with Robert.  Afterwards I walked about 3 blocks with him to Jumbo supermarket.  He picked up 6 cans of Dr. Pepper and while I was there I picked up 2 for myself for 3,590 pesos each.  (I think it’s imported because it had a Spanish nutritional information sticker on it.)  I wish they would import root beer.

On our way out I stopped at a pet store where they had a husky for sale.  He was so bored he was chasing his tail.  I moved my fingers around the glass and kind of underneath and he chased them like a cat would.  He was very playful.  I asked the woman at the counter and was told, in English, that he’s 3 months old and costs 1,200,000 pesos.  It was a beautiful dog but from the size of his paws he looks like he’s going to be a big one.

We walked the couple blocks to the Suramericana metro station.  I told Robert if he wasn’t busy I would buy him a drink in Parque Envigado.  There weren’t any tables available at Bartolos so we walked across the street to the large bakery where we were lucky to get a table in the “almost shade”.  We exchanged jokes for quite a while.

Things I learned while talking to Robert: 1) Even though the immigration website hasn’t been updated I should go there as my Cedula might be waiting for pickup, 2) There is a store a block from the park called Rimax that sells cooking thermometers, 3) Pricesmart has dill pickles and the cost of membership is only 75,000 pesos.  I would LOVE if they were to have root beer.

When we left he was going to walk down to check out Papa John’s and I stopped in Rimax.  I asked a young salesperson and he led me directly to the thermometers.  They had one that looked like the real deal for 37,000 pesos (about $13).  I decided I’d better first check and make sure my brother hadn’t already bought one for me.

Back at the apt by 5:30 I watched 2 more episodes of The Walking Dead.

Laura returned to the apt by 7pm, left for the gym at 7:30 and returned just before 10pm.  (Maybe I should follow her and see where she’s really going.)

I emailed my brother and learned that he had yet to buy the meat thermometer.  Why didn’t I take a photo of it to see if he approves?  He told me he still hasn’t heard from Las Rosas hotel and they don’t answer their phone.  I told him that I don’t know if it makes any difference but here when you call from a cell phone to a land line you have to precede the number with “034”.

Teresa finally called me at 10:30.  I understood she went to the office to get Laura’s birth certificate and it should be ready for pickup by tomorrow or Monday.

I went to bed at 11pm as usual.

T-shirt of the day: I’m going to show you how great I am.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Last night I fell asleep quickly and didn’t wake up until 5am.  It took me a long time to fall back asleep (2 hrs?) and I finally woke/got up at 9am.

I watched the first 20 minutes of the Today show and left for the gym.  I saw Jose, the trainer, at the gym for the first time this year.  I saw Jose, my friend, and he gave me 2 free certificates for drinks at Starbucks.  He saw the movie The Shape of Water and I told him I’m going to see it this afternoon.

Laura and I left the apt at 1pm and found Deli Hoy still closed so we had lunch at La Bahia again.  She brought me over to the Terminal South mall where she picked up something (a blouse?) from someone at the barber shop and then dropped it off at Wilson’s Bar.

We walked a couple blocks to a bus stop where we quickly caught a bus.  I knew where to get off but I missed the spot and we had to walk a couple blocks and then we went up the hill to Oviedo.  We got there plenty early so we stopped first at Popsy and had ice cream cones for 10,000 pesos ($3.50).  There weren’t any good general seats left so I bought 2 preferred seating tickets for 18,000 pesos ($6).  I bought a small popcorn and large soda for another 15,000 ($5).  There were at least 30 other people in the theater, I guess because this is a popular movie.  Uh-oh, I didn’t realize there was going to be some nudity in the movie.  Outside the theater, the marque showed The Commuter and I told Laura it was good.  Maybe we’ll come back on the weekend and see it (2^nd time for me).

Outside the mall we quickly caught a bus back to the apartment.

Teresa called me a couple times – everything is okay on their end.  Tomorrow she will go to the office and start the process of getting Laura’s birth certificate.  And then probably hit the beach.

Laura left for the gym at 7:30 and returned at 10pm.  Wow, that was a long workout.

I went to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: Wake me when I’m rich.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

I didn’t sleep particularly well last night.  Besides getting up several times during the night it seemed like it took me quite a long time to fall asleep.  Hmm, maybe that Coke I had with my empanadas?

I left the apt at 8:45am, quickly caught a bus and met Jose at the chess league at 9:45.  We played 2 games, each winning with the white pieces.

Jose wanted something different for lunch today – other than steak – pizza or a hamburger.  We walked over to Piccolo’s where, at his suggestion, we got their meat pizza which included bacon, ham, salami, and some kind of meat I wasn’t familiar with.  It was tasty though.

We walked back to the chess league and played 2 more games, Jose winning both.  I told him I would probably start studying chess again when I get tired of losing.  A man stopped by and gave each of us a business card.  He sells chess clocks; name: Eduardo Miranda, cell: 310 509 6950; email: Eduardo.Mir@Hotmail.Es.

We said goodbye and I walked over to The Town Barbershop where I got a haircut for 12,000 pesos.

I walked to the Floresta station where I caught the metro back to Envigado.  On the way a group of 5 youngsters got on the metro.  It’s the first time I remember seeing a blind person’s eyes without sunglasses.  Their eyeballs are all clouded over.

I waited in line for about 10 minutes to make a withdrawal from Servibanca.

Teresa left the apt about 7:30 and met Esmeralda downstairs.

Laura left for the gym about 8pm and came back at 9:30.

I went to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: Say what you mean to say.

Monday, January 22, 2018

As usual I slept well despite getting up several times during the night.  I was awakened by traffic at 7am, finally gave up getting back to sleep and got up at 7:45.

I watched the first 20 minutes of the Today show and headed for the gym.  Workers are now tearing up the other side of Avenida Poblado (for the new Transmetro bus line).

I did all my exercises in an hour and 20 minutes.  Through Jose, Oscar told me his mother-in-law is looking for a finca.  I gave Jose Teresa’s cellphone number to send to Oscar.

It is evident I’ve lost muscle over the past few months.  For example, the Seated Row machine; according to my notes I was lifting 80# from September 4^th to September 25^th.  Then I shut it down completely for abou 6 weeks because of shoulder and elbow pain.  I started up again on November 6^th with just 50#.  Now I’m up to 65# and I can tell I’ve lost strength; it’s hard.

After lunch I gave Teresa money for her trip to San Andres.  That’s when I learned she’s not going from January 23^rd to the 29^th, she’s going from the 24^th to the 31^st.  I asked when did this change?  She said while I was playing chess with Alejandro.  Why didn’t she tell me after?  She forgot.  I also learned that Alejandro is 13 years old, not 30 years old.

I watched 2 more episodes of The Walking Dead on Direct TV.

Laura went out and brought back empanadas for everyone.

At 7:15 Teresa and Laura left for the gym.

A thought: I read and saw video of Philadelphia Eagles fans giving the finger and throwing bottles and cans at greatly outnumbered Minnesota Vikings fans entering the NFC Championship game.  I wonder how the Eagles fans will be treated at the Superbowl in Minnesota?  Isn’t Philadelphia supposed to be “The City of Brotherly Love”?  I don’t particulary want the New England Patriots to win the Superbowl but now I want the Eagles to lose!

Now my cellphone is predicting a possibility of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I watched season 1, episode 3 of Breaking Bad on Netflix.

The ladies came back at 8:45.

I went to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: Play hard.

Sunday, January 21, 2018

I was awakened by Teresa getting up when Laura came home at 4am.

I was awakened again by what sounded like someone playing a boombox while walking down the street.  I looked at my watch.  6:15am, really?

I finally woke/got up at 9am.

Teresa got a phone call and then told me about a teacher couple (he engineering, she philosophy) that may be interested in renting the finca.  Teresa asked me if she rents the finca could Laura return to the university.  I said, if you could get them to sign a 5 year contract then we would have a steady stream of income and there should be no problem with her returning.  I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Well, the AFC championship game begins today at 3:05pm and the NFC championship at 6:40 so I’ll be glued to the TV for some time today and tonight.

In the AFC Championship game, the New England Patriots defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars in a close game 24-20.

Teresa and Laura came back at 8:45.  Teresa wanted to see her Sunday night program Septima Dia.  My game was already 31-7 Philadelphia ahead so I turned it off.

What was amazing is that I experienced no buffering in either game.

I Googled “what can I do with 4 gigabytes of data”?

With 4 GB per month, you can watch 300 minutes of video a month (the equivalent of ten 30-minute sitcoms), surf 50 web pages daily, upload 10 pictures, stream 15 minutes of music and send 50 emails every day and still use only 3.61 GB.

With Laura’s help I downloaded Tappsi, the taxi calling service.  I have it on my cellphone but as soon as I leave the building I lose internet and my contact with Tappsi.  Theoretically, I should be able to use Teresa’s cellphone and still maintain contact with the taxi driver.

In the NFC Championship game, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Minnesota Vikings 38-7.  Boring!

After my usual presleep procedures I went to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: Chicago.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

I slept well last night despite getting up 2-3 times during the night.  After I woke up at 6:30 it took me maybe as much as an hour to fall back asleep.  I finally woke/got up at 8:15.

Today is Anniversary Day!

It was exactly 5 years ago today I arrived in Medellin, Colombia.  Why did I leave the US?  Basically, I was priced out of the market.  Why did I choose Colombia?  1) Beautiful women, 2) Beautiful weather, 3) Low cost of living, not necessarily in that order. There’s actually a 4^th that I didn’t know at the time – the people here are very friendly.  It’s been an interesting experience to say the least.  I’m sure anyone who has read my posts from the beginning would agree with that.

It was exactly 1 year ago today that Donald Trump was sworn in as president of the US.  How’s that working out for everyone?  I’ll repeat my previous predictions: 1) Donald Trump will not complete his 4 year term as president, 2) within 2 years of his leaving office, he and Melania Trump will no longer be together.

Teresa is waiting for Laura to get up to make her breakfast, she said something about meeting her friend Gloria at 11am, we have to go to Claro to get her phone number put on a monthly plan, and she said something about going to Exito.  (If she’s going to Exito why is she telling me we need to buy arepas?)  Anyway, she said she’s going to make fish for her and Laura for lunch and I guess because she’s so busy she asked me to go out for lunch today.  No problem!

During breakfast I was trying to read a Time magazine article about a record number of women running for office and my iPad kept rebooting.  I ended up having to finish reading it on my laptop.

Teresa informed me that Laura got up very early for her passport appointment so she’ll be sleeping in.

I’m still waiting for my new Cedula.  Immigration hasn’t updated their website with new cedula numbers since January 2^nd!

Today is a warm and sunny day.  In fact my cellphone’s weather prediction is for no rain for the coming 6 days.

Teresa and I left the apt at 11am.  She walked me over to Comfama where we met Gloria.    (If I knew we were coming here I would have brought my 3 used AA batteries to put in their recycling cylinder.)  I think Teresa gave Gloria some money for the shampoo and conditioner she sold.  We then walked over to the new Claro office across the plaza from Exito.  While Teresa was waiting I went to Gana and added 20mil to my cellphone.  When I came back Teresa gave the young lady her personal information and signed a form.  Teresa paid 92,900 for the first month.  I understand it will be another 12,000 to be paid by the 10^th of February and then 92,900 every 10^th of the month thereafter.  Her minutes also include 4GB of data.

Teresa headed back to the apartment and I walked the 20 minutes to Papa Johns where I had an individual Pomodoro pizza and large Coke.  Just like back home.

Outside I saw an old banner over the street that said that the Dann Carlton Biltfort was serving Christmas dinner; something to keep in mind for next year.

On the walk back I stopped at Otra Parte to be sure it is still open.  It is.  I stopped at Classic Diner to see if it was still open.  It is.  About 5 minutes later I noticed a store across the street named Gringo’s Store but I didn’t stop.  I’ll check it out another time.

I had a limonada de coco at Bartolos.  They had a large RV parked in the park for people to give blood donations.  I stopped at Exito for bread and arepas and was back at the apt by 3:30.

The Colombian Peso closed at 2,842 to the US Dollar.  It’s been getting stronger against the dollar lately, probably because the price of oil is going up.

Teresa informed me she has to return to the finca with Wilson; something about the tubes not fitting.  I told her to call me as she leaves the finca and I’ll have Laura order food and then I’ll go and pick it up.  She left about 4pm.

I watched a couple more episodes of The Walking Dead.

Laura came back at 5pm and left for the park at 5:30.  She said she would be back before 7pm.  I asked her to pick up 3 bags of milk and a 1.5 liter bottle of Coke from the corner store on her way back.

Teresa came back at 6:15 and we agreed she had time to get her nails done so she left again.

Laura returned at exactly 7pm, placed the order to Mu and we were told it would be ready in 15 minutes.  Outside we walked down the hill and quickly caught a taxi to Parque Lleras.  The driver took Avenida Las Vegas, turned east on Calle 10, turned at Carrera 35, stopped at Calle 7, I paid the driver and Laura asked him if he could wait a couple minutes for us.  We walked half a block down the hill and quickly picked up our large order of ribs for 72mil.  Back up to Carrera 35 the driver was waiting for us.  We were back at the apt by 8pm with Teresa waiting for us.

Laura said she was still full from lunch and had a little heartburn so she would eat her share of the ribs and fries later.

Teresa and I chowed down, finished most of the fries and 3 ribs each and we left 3 ribs and a few fries for Laura.

Laura left the apt about 9pm dressed up to go out to visit with her friends.

Tomorrow starting at 3pm begins the NFL Championships.

We went to bed at 11pm as usual.

T-shirt of the day: I will thrive in 2005.

Friday, January 19, 2018

I slept well last night despite getting up a couple times.

Teresa left for the gym at 9am.

I watched the first 20 minutes of the Today show and then I left for the gym.  Two of the Metro Plus lanes they were working on have been cleaned and lane striped with turn symbols.   In the park workers have started taking down Christmas decorations.

September 29^th was the last time I exercised my arms and shoulders because of the pain I was having.  I started again on November 6^th but with significantly less weight.  I haven’t had any pain since, so today I started increasing the weight.  I added 15 pounds on 1 machine and 10 pounds on 4 machines without any pain.

On the way back to the apt I bought a Q’Hubo newspaper and picked up a free Gente newspaper.

Among new US movie releases I would like to see 12 Strong (6.7) and Den of Thieves (7.1).  Locally, I would like to see The Shape of Water (8.0) playing at 3pm at Oviedo.  Maybe next Wednesday while Teresa is in San Andres.

After lunch I walked over to the bookstore where I exchanged 2 paperbacks and 2,000 pesos for a new paperback.  I stopped at the internet café where I printed out a copy of my brother’s itinerary.  I had a quick cup of coffee at the small bakery but I didn’t stay long because I couldn’t get a wifi connection.  I stopped in Exito and picked up a few things after waiting about 10 minutes in line.  Why do they allow people to pay their bills at the cashier; why not send them to their special window?  Why don’t they have an express line, like 10 items or less?

Back at the apt I watched a couple more episodes of The Walking Dead.

Teresa came back at 9pm.

I went to bed at 11pm as usual.

T-shirt of the day: I am more than what you see.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

I slept as well as usual until 4am and then it seemed to take a long time to fall back asleep.  I finally woke/got up at 7:30.

Teresa left the apt for the finca at 8am.  I left 10 minutes later.

I picked up a free adn newspaper outside Exito.

Articles included:

Is there going to be a racetrack in northern Medellin (Bello)?

Days of sun and rainy afternoons in Medellin.

Nokia announced an alliance with Claro to test their new 5G network in Colombia.

The Envigado Cubs repeat as children’s baseball champions.

The book Fire and Fury will be made into a TV series.

The Shape of Water opens today in local theaters.

I guess you have to get there early if you want a newspaper.

I stopped at Servibanca and made a withdrawal.  I had a breakfast of calentado (rice & beans), scrambled eggs and café con leche at Carbon de Leña for 8,500 ($3).

I bought 2 packages of Isoklon sleeping pills at Todo Drogas, had a copy made of an au pair fact page at the paper store, bought a travel set of case, toothbrush and toothpaste at Dollar City for 7mil for Teresa, bought 2 bags of milk at the corner store and was back at the apt by 9:45.

I watched the first 90 minutes of the Today show.

I left the apt at 11:45, paid the Une (wifi) bill at Cotrafa and then picked up some groceries at Exito.

Shoot!  I wanted to see Downsizing at Mayorca at 4:20 today but they moved the showtime to the evening.

Laura and I left the apt at 1pm and had a nice lunch of beans, meatballs and rice at La Bahia for 11mil each (about $4).

She headed back to the apartment and I quickly caught a taxi to Vizcaya mall.  I was happy he took the back roads instead of going down Avenida Poblado.  The only problem was that when we got to Calle 10 we were already slightly past the last block that takes us directly to the mall and we were stopped by heavy traffic.  I gave him the 12,000 peso fare and got out and walked the last block.

I bought a general admission ticket to Darkest Hour (7.4) for 6,000 pesos ($2).  I bought a small popcorn and medium soda for another 14,600 ($5).  (I think their popcorn is the worst of all the theaters.)

The movie was good and there were only 6 other people in the theater.

Afterwards, I walked down to Avenida Poblado and immediately caught a bus.  Traffic was very heavy and it took 30 minutes to go through the Gold Mile area so I guess we were only making 2 miles per hour.  I was just happy I got a seat.

I was back at the apt by 5:30.

I finished reading Elizabeth Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History and downloaded Michael Connelly’s The Gods of Guilt (Mickey Haller #5).

Teresa called at 7pm to inform me that she was waiting for a bus on the highway by the finca.  She got back at 8:30.

T-shirt of the day: Never trust an atom.  They make up everything.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

I slept well despite getting up a couple times during the night.

I heard Teresa talking to someone on the phone about meeting to buy the water tank today.

It’s a very cool and overcast day.

Teresa left the apt at 9:30 and I left at 10:20.  I did all my exercises in an hour and 25 minutes, including the calf press machine that is now repaired.

Laura and I left the apt at 1pm.  First we stopped in Bancolombia where, after a 5 minute wait for our turn, Laura asked the cashier for the money my brother sent via World Remit.  I showed her my (expired) Cedula, gave her my brother’s name and the ID number he gave me.  She asked me how much and I told her 280,000 pesos.  I had to sign a paper and put my fingerprint on it and she gave me the cash.  It was that easy!

We walked 3 blocks away where we had lunch at Mariskos.  We each started with a bowl of chicken soup that was quite tasty.  I had their pepper steak which came with a small salad and baked potato.  My steak was very tasty but I don’t know what was peppery about it and the sauce tasted on the bitter side.  I also had a pineapple milkshake.  Laura had the fish and a mango juice.  The total came to 75,935 pesos or about $26 including tax and tip.

Back at the apt I picked up a note pad and we headed out of the apt at 3pm.  Walking across the street towards the bus it was just leaving but since it was coming towards us I was able to flag it down and it stopped for us. 

We arrived at the au pair agency at 3:35.  It’s in the same building as Envios Market (Calle 9 #43A-31) but inside on the 2^nd floor.

The young lady, named Laura, sat us at a small table and explained their program.  Here are my notes:

The agency is called Au Pair In America and its based on a J1 Cultural Exchange visa that is good for 13 months.

Their au pair prerequisites are: 18-26 years old, have a Colombian drivers license (manual, even though most people in the US drive automatic), have 200 hours of childcare (non family) experience, and English proficiency of level B1/B2.  She stressed that English is the most important requirement.

The au pair will spend 1 year in the US (mainly east or west coast) taking care of children in a private home.  She will receive $200 a week, have her own bedroom, have a $500 study allowance, basic medical insurance, and 2 weeks paid vacation.

The au pair needs to create an online profile and upload a copy of her passport, a certificate showing she has no criminal record and a personal video.

The cost is $1,525 ($825 promotion until the end of June) which covers her flight from Bogota to New York (Newark airport), 2 days orientation in New York, transportation from New York to wherever she will be working, and later from there back home.

I asked how much it might costs to get a drivers license here and she said about 1,000,000 pesos but that includes lessons.

I asked how much it costs for a passport and she said about 350,000 pesos.

I asked, and she confirmed, that the au pair is responsible for buying her own clothes – thinking mainly about how cold it gets in winter as she would need boots, coat, hat, gloves, etc.

From her answer to my question I understand the family and au pair match themselves, ie, they both agree to the assignment.

Additional information can be found at AuPairInAmerica.com.

When we left we quickly caught a Sabaneta bus back to the apt.

Teresa came back at 7pm and I understand the water tank has been delivered and tomorrow they go back to fill it.

Medellin Living sent an email with “52 Places to go in 2018” from the New York Times.  #1 was New Orleans and #2 was Colombia.  Uh-oh, that means more gringos!  Lol.

We went to bed at 11pm as usual.

T-shirt of the day: Victoria’s Secret.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

I slept well last night despite getting up several times during the night, finally waking at 7am and getting up at 7:30.

Watching the news we learned that a gringo died in Parque Lleras last night.  I wonder what time; probably 2 or 3 am, by which time I was long gone.

I left the apt at 9am and caught a bus after a 5 minute wait.  

Walking by the stadium there was some activity by one of the smaller soccer fields; like there was going to be an important match soon.  I met up with Jose at the chess league just before 10am.

While we played 2 games it started raining.  Interestingly, it was quite loud but we couldn’t see any rain, perhaps because we were like sitting at the bottom of a bowl.  I won both games and then we headed for lunch.  Luckily, the rain had stopped.

At El Chapparrel I had my usual pepper steak which came with rice and French fries.

The steaks are at the top.

Looks better in person.

Jose got the chorasco and gave me a bite; again I don’t know how he can chew meat like that but I guess he liked it.

We paid the bill of 81mil (about $27) and then adjourned to a back table to play some more.  He won the 3^rd game and I was losing the last game but I held on, he blundered and lost his queen and resigned.  We had a little more rain during lunch but again it had stopped by the time we left.

We walked down the street a couple blocks to a Davivienda bank.  We were let in at 3:58 and after a wait of a couple minutes we were speaking to a cashier.  Jose told her why we were there (to pick up 280,000 pesos my brother sent me via World Remit) and she said first we have to get a copy of my Cedula blown up 150%.  She gave me a legal-size form to fill out so we left the bank and found they were closing – at 4pm!  Outside we stopped next door at a café and looked over the form.  It even asks for my sex, my marriage status and my profession.  What is that about?  In looking it over I realized there might be a problem because my Cedula expired last December 19^th and I’m still waiting for my new one.  (The last time Cedulas were shown online to have been updated was January 2^nd.   Maybe they are on vacation also.) 

I told Jose I’ll try again at Bancolombia tomorrow with Laura – and maybe I’ll bring my passport.  Maybe their procedure will be easier.

We said goodbye with the plant to meet again next Tuesday at 10am.

I retraced my way back to Envigado and it was raining lightly as I got off the metro.  I was going to stop at the bakery for a coffee but I noticed I wan’t getting an internet connection so I just left.

I stopped at Bancolombia and made a withdrawal and again was charged an ATM fee of 12,000 pesos.  It’s been 12 days since I made my last withdrawal and they are still charging me a fee.

I was back at the apt by 5:30.

Later I made arrangements with Laura to go to Bancolombia tomorrow with my passport.  She mentioned she’s getting up tomorrow at 5am because she has an appointment to find out what she will need to get a passport.  She also said she is going to Poblado tomorrow afternoon to talk to some other au pair agency as to what their requirements are and she invited me to join her.

I went to bed as usual at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: Imperfect.  So what?