Sunday, March 31, 2019

I woke up about 4:30 and had great difficulty getting back to sleep.  I finally got up at 7:15.

We had no milk so I had to go next door to Exito and buy milk and eggs.  Being as I had just gotten up my back was sore just from the walking let alone the bending over and picking up 2 bags of milk.  I took an Excedrin as soon as I returned to the apt.

I left the apt just before 9am.  From the outside it looks like the Otra Parte library/book store is finished.  In the courtyard behind I think there was a meditation class going on.  For Ciclovia I walked to the main Starbucks in Poblado where I ordered my usual.  This time I tried it without adding sugar and found out I don’t need it.  I read some from my Chess Life magazine and headed back.  There was a 4-piece band playing by the side of the road and I contributed 500 pesos.  There was a military mime on the side of the road and I gave him 500 pesos and made a 20 second video with my cellphone.  (I wish I knew how to get it from my cellphone to this blog.)  At one corner they were collecting donations for the football (American) team that won the local championship last year.  I gave them the last of my change.

I was back at the apt by 11:20.

Teresa told me about some hotel near downtown Envigado where we can stay for 4,000,000 pesos a month.  She showed me a brochure and it’s a nursing home.  She also recalled that the price was for one so of course it will be more for 2.  I reminded her that to her no one is old, so there!  (We have some interesting discussions about that.  LOL)  I told her that some Americans spend their entire retirement onboard a cruise ship and she thought that was a great idea.  I did a quick google and the cost is about $119 a day so that is out of my league.  (Not even sure if that is per person or per couple.)

She got it into her mind to do some furniture rearrangement and we switched the sofa in the bedroom with the one in the living room.  And me with my bad back.

It started raining just as I was contemplating going to the mall.

I took a 45 minute nap and when I woke up it had stopped raining.  By the time I got dressed there were just drops.  By the time I got downstairs there was a light drizzle.

I stopped at the BBVA ATM in the gas station and made a small withdrawal.

At the mall I stepped into Pepe Ganga where I bought a single container of Play-Doh for 4,900 pesos.  I’m going to use it to build a dam under the hummingbird feeder to contain the drippings.  This is a strange minimalist store right out of the 1950s with their metal shelves and fluorescent lights.  The cashier spoke English and I told her what I thought of the store and she got a good laugh.  I went to Home Center where I bought a 1.6 meter 3-prong extension cord for the microwave.  I dropped off a AA battery in a container next to the cashier.

At Café Arangos all the tables and seats were taken.  After 5 minutes someone left and I got a seat at the counter.  I wasn’t able to get a good internet connection so I read some from my Chess Life magazine.

On my way out I stopped at a Davivienda ATM and made a small withdrawal.

Back at the apt I confirmed that BBVA & Davivienda do not charge ATM fees, although the amount you can withdraw is limited.  So, in the future, in addition to using World Remit twice a month, I’ll try to solely use Davivienda and BBVA.  I just have to test them now to see what their maximum withdrawal is.

Back at the apt Teresa suggested we go for pizza.

We left about 7:15 and when we arrived at Antica Pizza it was full but there was no line so we were soon seated.  The pizza was delicious as usual and the taxi fare each way was about 7mil.

14,704 steps today.

Joke of the day

A frog walks into a bank and approaches the teller, whose name plate says Patricia Whack.

"Miss Whack, I'd like to get a $50,000 loan to take a vacation."

Patty looks at the frog in disbelief and asks his name.

"Kermit Jagger. My father is Mick Jagger. It will be fine to authorize the loan, I know your manager."

Patty explains that he will need to secure the loan with some collateral.

"Sure, how about this," said Kermit as he produces a tiny porcelain elephant, about an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed. Very confused, Patty explains that she'll have to consult with the bank manager and disappears into a back office.

Patty walks into the manager's office and proceeds to tell her, "There's a frog called Kermit Jagger out there who claims to know you and wants to borrow $50,000, and he wants to use this as collateral." Patty holds up the tiny pink elephant. "I mean, what in the world is this?"

The bank manager looks back at her and says..."It's a knickknack, Patty Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man's a Rolling Stone."