Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Last night I went to bed at 11pm, got up once at 2am, finally waking/getting up at 6am.

Teresa’s having problems with her cellphone as she can’t receive Laura’s calls.  After some investigation I found: 1) Laura is calling using Whatsapp, 2) Teresa doesn’t have Whatsapp on her phone, 3) Teresa doesn’t have the Play Store app on her phone so I can’t download Whatsapp for her.

I managed to download a version of Play Store but I haven’t figured out how to sign in as yet.

Teresa said something about buying a new battery from a man in a store so once again I don’t know what’s going on.

We left the apt at 9:15 and took a taxi to Clinica Medellin in downtown Medellin.  We got in a Disney World type line for an elevator ride.  While in line Teresa asked me if I had cash to pay for the doctor’s appointment.  I told her she needs to tell me ahead of time if I need to bring more cash than just for taxis and lunch.  We got off on the 12^th floor and Teresa finally found the correct office.

There were only 6 seats, all taken, in the waiting room so I stood by the door while Teresa checked us in.  I was able to pay the 90 mil using my debit card.  Someone seemed to be taken every 5 minutes or so.  A man came out, obviously finished with his appointment, and said goodbye to everyone.  I told Teresa that a gringo considers this very unusual – a man sat with us for 10 minutes and we didn’t say a word to each other but he says “goodbye” when he leaves.  

After about 20 minutes Teresa went in and came back 5 minutes later for me.  I went into the room and a “nurse” asked me to remove my shoes and socks and stand in one spot.  She said I was 1.82 meters (6’) and she asked me if I knew how much I weigh.  I said a little less than 80 kilos and she told me 79.

I then sat in another seat and she put some liquid on my right heel and I put my food in a device.  A minute later I switched feet and she told me all is good.

We went into another office and talked to a doctor.  I understood Teresa’s bone density is a little less than desirable but she is taking calcium for that.  He said my bones were fine.

In another office another doctor took our blood pressure.  Mine was 132/76 and Teresa’s was 126/87.  He then proceded to sell us some type of special coffee creamer and tea.

Outside we took a taxi to Premium Plaza where Teresa spent quite a bit of time shopping for end of month sales.  She found a few things today in Stradivarius and Adidas.  While resting she called Chuck’s wife Darnely to ask her something.  I asked where Chuck is and Teresa said she didn’t know as Darnely is back in Cali.

About 1:30 we went to Frisby where I used my debit card to pay for lunch that we pretty much shared.

When I sat down at the table there was some type of plastic card sitting on it.  As we were finishing eating a woman came to our table and picked up the card we found.  Teresa says it’s to pay for her parking.  Her little girl said “thank you for keeping our card for us”.

While Teresa went into her last store I ducked into a sunglasses store to price a pair of Ray Ban sunglasses.  The two I remember were 465 to 495 mil, about what I paid for mine years ago back in the States.

As we were leaving I noticed they had a Dracula haunted house.  I inquired as to how much and was told 20mil.  I didn’t have that much cash with me to pay for both of us so skipped it.

We took a taxi back to the apt.

I was very tired having gotten up so early so we went to take a nap.  I must have fallen asleep in seconds and Teresa woke me up an hour later.

Laura called and talked to Teresa on my cellphone.  I understand the girls finally got their hair washed with shampoo.

Teresa told me she thought yesterday’s medical visit was a scam, only for us to buy their products.  I told her I thought it was a little of both – we got a good bone density reading and they tried to sell us their coffee creamer and tea.

I watched some of the 7^th game of the World Series, won by the Washington Nationals 6-2.

I finished reading John Donovan’s Shoot for the Moon on my Nook.

4,488 steps today.

Joke of the day

A Hawaiian woodpecker and a Californian woodpecker were arguing about which place had the toughest trees.

The Hawaiian woodpecker said Hawaii had a tree that no woodpecker could peck.

The Californian woodpecker accepted his challenge, and promptly pecked a hole in the tree with no problem.

The Hawaiian woodpecker was in awe.

The Californian woodpecker then challenged the Hawaiian woodpecker to peck a tree in California that was absolutely unpeckable.

The Hawaiian woodpecker expressed confidence he could do it, so accepted the challenge.

After flying to California, the Hawaiian woodpecker successfully pecked the tree with no problem.

So the two woodpeckers were now confused. How is it that the Californian woodpecker was able to peck the Hawaiian tree and the Hawaiian woodpecker was able to peck the Californian tree, but neither one was able to peck the tree in their own state?

After much woodpecker-pondering, they both came to the same conclusion - your pecker is always harder when you're away from home.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Last night I went to bed at 11pm, quickly fell asleep, got up once at 3am, again at 5:30, couldn’t fall back asleep so I got up at 6:30.

I left the apt just before 8am and at the mall I recycled a vitamin bottle, printed some chess notes and went to Habia Una Vez for breakfast.  Jose didn’t arrive until almost 9am by which time I had finished my breakfast and was working on a second coffee.  I informed him about my contact with the International Master in chess.

We went up to the food court and I had the White pieces for the first game.  I got a good attack against him on the kingside but I lost on time on the 37^th move.

For lunch I had the BBQ chicken nuggets again from Frisby and Jose had a sandwich from Q’Bano.

I had the Black pieces in the 2^nd game and it was a wide open game that he won on the 27^th move.

He left and I went downstairs to Percimon where I met Teresa and a friend.  They had already had frozen yogurt so I had a small one with peanuts and blueberries.

Her friend left and we went to Todo Fresa for coffee.

We left about 5:30 and walked back to the apt, stopping on the way at Exito to buy milk.

Tomorrow we have some type of a medical test in the morning and then Teresa wants to go to El Tesoro to exchange something she bought 2 months ago.

I watched a little of the World Series.

6,858 steps today.

Joke of the day

A couple was on their honeymoon, lying in bed and just about ready to consummate their marriage when the new bride says to the husband: "I have a confession to make - I'm not a virgin." 

The husband replies, "That's no big thing in this day and age." 

The wife continues, "Yea... I've been with one guy." 

"Oh yeah? Who was the guy?" 

"Tiger Woods." 

"Tiger Woods the golfer?" 

"Yeah." 

"Well, he's rich, famous and handsome. I can see why you went to bed with him." 

The husband and wife then make passionate love. 

When they are done, the husband gets up and walks to the telephone. 

"What are you doing?" asks the wife. 

The husband says, "I'm hungry, I was going to call room service and get something to eat." 

"Tiger wouldn't do that." 

"Oh yeah? What would Tiger do?" 

"He'd come back to bed and do it a second time." 

The husband puts down the phone and goes back to bed to make love a second time. 

When they finish, he gets up and goes over to the phone. "Now what are you doing?" she asks.

The husband says, "I'm still hungry so I was going to call room service to get something to eat." 

"Tiger wouldn't do that." 

"Oh yeah? What would Tiger do?" 

"He'd come back to bed and do it again." 

The guy slams down the phone goes back to bed and makes love one more time. 

When they finish he's tired and beat. He drags himself over to the phone and starts to dial. 

The wife asks, "Are you calling room service?" 

"No! I'm calling Tiger Woods, to find out what the par is for this damn hole."

Monday, October 28, 2019

Last night Teresa started her rosary late so I stayed up a while longer and read some more, finally getting to bed a little after 11pm.  I got up twice during the night finally waking/getting up at 7:15.

I watched the first 20 minutes of the Today show and left for the gym.  I completed my limited set of exercises in an hour and 10 minutes.

Wow, not a cloud in the sky today.  I’m guessing it will be a little warmer today than usual.

Teresa called me at 12:15 and asked me to meet her for lunch at DoSabores.  I arrived just after 12:30 and we had their menu of the day.  I’m not sure why Teresa likes this place so much, the food doesn’t arrive hot and isn’t that filling.  She returned to the apt while I went to Parva where I had a café con leche.  I returned to the apt about 3pm.

Laura texted me about a problem: The girls have dirty hair because their mother doesn’t use shampoo.  I told her to tell their mother about their dirty hair and hopefully she will start using shampoo.

At 6pm I finally finished solving and recording the 498 mate-in-one chess puzzles.

I watched some Monday Night Football.

6,120 steps today.

Joke of the day

Mr. Jacobs, the biology instructor at a posh suburban girl's junior college, said during class, "Miss Arnold, would you please name the organ of the human body, which under the appropriate conditions, expands to six times its normal size, and define the conditions."

Miss Arnold gasped then said coldly, "Mr. Jacobs, I don't think that is an appropriate question to ask me. I assure you my parents will hear of this!" 

With that she sat down red-faced.

Unperturbed, Mr. Jacobs called on Miss Jones, another student, and asked the same question. Miss Jones, with composure, replied: "That would be the pupil of the eye, under conditions of dim light."

"Correct," said Mr. Jacobs.

"And now, Miss Arnold, I have three things to say to you:
One, you have not studied your lesson.
Two, you have a dirty mind.
And three, you will someday be dreadfully disappointed."

Best Brunch spots in Medellin - Medellin Living

Best Brunch Spots in Medellín

By

 Grace

 -

October 28, 2019

0

164

Share on Facebook

 

Tweet on Twitter

  

Brunch – the perfect time where you can justify eating beyond the confines of a typical breakfast menu, plus, start drinking in the morning. Originally an American tradition, the breakfast-lunch combination has made its way to the City of Eternal Spring and there now are a whole host of places serving their unique twist on the meal. Whether you’re feeling a little delicate from the night before, or you simply need an excuse to eat, here are the best brunch spots in Medellín.   

Justo

Carrera 37 #10A-58

Nestled down the leafy side-streets of Poblado, Justo is a modern restaurant and marketplace boasting a range of vegetarian and vegan foods. The brunch menu includes pancakes with fruits and jams, vegan eggs, and a vegan grilled cheese sandwich. There are also a number of fresh juices and coffee with dairy-alternative milks. You definitely don’t have to be vegan or vegetarian to enjoy Justo; the friendly service, Instagram-worthy scenery, and delicious cuisine caters to all tastes and tastebuds. Brunch is served Monday – Saturday until 12 pm.

Justo Restaurante Facebook 

Ganso & Castor 

Carrera 36 #7-46 / Carrera 44 #19a-100, Local 103 / Carrera 43E#11A-30

Only found in Medellín, Ganso & Castor has three restaurants across the city known for their quality food and European-style brunch. There is no set brunch menu but hungry visitors can choose from the breakfast, lunch, and dessert sections whatever the time. Some of the most mouthwatering picks include the French toast, smoked salmon bagel, eggs benedict, and BLT sandwich. Ganso & Castor also has a number of vegetarian options, as well as a selection of fine coffees and teas. If you’re looking for a classy brunch and a change from traditional Colombian cuisine, Ganso & Castor is ideal. Brunch is available all day, and the restaurants are based in Manila, Provenza, and Museo de Arte Moderno (MAMM).

Ganso & Castor Bistro Facebook

ENVY rooftop

Calle 9A #37-16

On top of The Charlee hotel in the heart of Parque Lleras, ENVY rooftop is one of the coolest spots in Medellín. Overlooking the rolling hills and downtown cityscape, ENVY has it all – sunshine, a swimming pool, and crowds of beautiful people sipping their drinks. How could it get any better? The last Sunday of each month, ENVY hosts a rooftop brunch with an unlimited buffet and live DJs playing music. Savor a plate full of fruit, pastries, eggs, cooked meats, and more while gazing out over the lush greenery. Brunch starts at 10 am and costs $55,000 COP per person.

Envy Rooftop Facebook

Azul Selva 

Carrera 37 #8A-60

For those who prefer a healthy brunch without comprising on flavor or variety, Azul Selva is a Poblado gem suited to conscious eaters. Located along the tranquil Vía Primera, the café has a balcony to tuck into brunch in the warm sunshine. Inside, the sleek décor adds to Azul Selva trendy status while the food selection secures it as a firm favorite for brunch in the city. The pumpkin pancakes, red fried eggs, artisanal breads, and acai bowls are among the top dishes. There are equally vegan banana and cacao pancakes, or for a Paisa start to the day, try the Toastada de Aguacate al estilo Azul Selva. Brunch is available all day, every day of the week.

Azul Selva Facebook 

Crepes & Waffles

Multiple locations

A well-known and loved chain throughout Colombia, Crepes and Waffles is a family-friendly and budget-friendly choice for brunch. They also have a fantastic work ethos, where they only employ female heads of households, to help support single mothers find employment. In terms of brunch, naturally, crepes and waffles are the stars of the menu. Crepes range from sweet and savory – with fillings like Nutella, arequipe, and ice cream, to just about any kind of cheese and meat. Meanwhile, the waffles come with syrup, butter, chocolate chips, and fruits, which can be washed down with milkshakes, smoothies, juices, or coffees. With locations all over Medellín, the restaurants are normally easy to get to and are open every day of the week.

crepesywaffles.com.co

Al Alma 

Calle 8 #35-37 / Calle 8 #35- 37

Now with two cafes in Provenza and Laureles (along with a stall in Mercado del Río), Al Alma is brilliant for coffee connoisseurs needing to recaffeinate with their brunch. The location in Provenza is a roastery, so fresh coffee is always on the menu. Al Alma also pairs up with the local bakery Tomasa, to sell their heavenly pastries – the croissants, bagels, breads, and muffins are some of the best in Medellín. For a cooked brunch, there’s eggs, bacon, fresh toast, omelets, and sausages. Alternatively, granola parfait, fruit bowls, and smoothies are available too. Any items on the menu can be ordered at any time of day, but the weekends get particularly busy, so we recommend arriving early.

Al Alma Cafe Facebook

37 Park 

Carrera 37 # 8A-4

For brunch al fresco, 37 Park has a cute outdoor area filled with picnic tables, fairy lights, and shade provided by the surrounding trees. Brunch here is away from the hustle and bustle of Calle 10 and is great for hearty food served in big portions. The selection at 37 Park is made up of granola bowls, poached eggs, omelets, as well as arepas and cooked meats. For non-meat-eaters, there’s a generous slice of French toast with sugar and maple syrup, and the added extra of Dutch cheese. Arguably the greatest part of brunch here, though, is the sweet mimosas. Brunch runs from 8 am – 12 pm throughout the week (except Monday), and 9 am – 1 pm on the weekend.

37 Park Medellín Facebook

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Last night I went to bed at 11pm, fell asleep quickly and didn’t wake up until 5am.  I couldn’t fall back asleep so I got up at 5:30.

I left the apt at 7:30 and on this cool morning (65 degrees) enjoyed the brief time in the sun.  I was surprised to see Parva open this morning until I saw the line of people waiting to get into the San Marcos high school, most likely to vote.  I stopped at my usual bank downtown Envigado but it could only give me 400mil so I declined.  Glenn was already seated at Carbon de Leña waiting for me.  We got caught up on recent news and he’s going to send me contact information for a handyman that he has used several times.  (Sebastian Cardona 320 641 7808)  We’ll probably meet regularly on Sunday mornings for breakfast and alternate paying the bill.

I went to another bank location and was able to withdraw more cash from their ATM.  I tried to find the paper store I discovered a week ago but it must be closed.  I went into Dollar City where I found an 8” x 10.5” notebook for my chess lesson notes and a smaller one for my future chess games with Jose for 4mil each.

I stopped at Parva and had a café con leche and got caught up on some news on my cellphone.

On way back to the apt I stopped in Exito where I bought a package of microwave popcorn and a 600ml bottle of Coke.

I watched my Chicago Bears lose to the Los Angeles Chargers 17-16.  What a disappointing season this has been!

I spent the rest of the day working on the mate-in-1 puzzles.  They aren’t particularly difficult, just time consuming, as I have to write the answers in my new notebook.  By the time I quit for the day at 9:30 I had solved 384 of the 498 puzzles.

7,314 steps today.

Joke of the day

A lawyer meets with the family of a recently deceased millionaire for the reading of the will.

'To my loving wife, Rose, who always stood by me, I leave the house and $2 million,' the attorney reads.

'To my darling daughter, Jessica, who looked after me in sickness and kept the business going, I leave the yacht, the business and $1 million.'

'And finally,' the lawyer concludes, 'to my cousin Dan, who hated me, argued with me and thought I would never mention him in my will.' 

'Well, you were wrong.  Hi Dan!'

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Last night I went to bed at 10:30, got up 4 times during the night, finally waking at 5:30 and getting up at 6am.  (When I have liquids like soup or hot oatmeal at night I tend to get up more often during the night.)

There’s no milk in the house so either I go next door to Exito for some or I have breakfast at McDonald’s in Los Molinos.  It’s a cool morning, only 65 degrees, as I went next door and bought 2 bags of milk.  Teresa was going to make me blueberry pancakes for breakfast but then she forgot to put in the blueberries so she put a sliced banana and strawberries on top instead.

I left the apt at 8am and a metro bus arrived as I reached the bus stop.  I took the metro to Aguacatala station, walked under the bridge and soon caught a Circular Sur bus to Los Molinos.  I arrived 10 minutes early and Dario was there waiting for me.  I had the Black pieces in the first game, I played the Dutch Defense against his d4 but he checkmated me on move 23.  Drat.  I don’t think he’s been playing in years and he doesn’t seem to have lost a step.  In the 2^nd game I won a pawn early and tried to hang onto it while attacking on the other side of the board.  At one point he almost checkmated me but for some reason he retreated his Queen and I won in the endgame on the 50^th move.

He left, I made a trip to the restroom and then got in line at Frisby for their BBQ chicken nugget combo.  As I finished eating I realized I didn’t have my tech bag with me with my expensive Ray Ban sunglasses and special, but not so expensive, Shedrain umbrella.  Yikes!  I did it again?  I asked a security guard if they had a lost & found and he sent me to a nearby information desk.  The lady there sent me deeper inside the mall to an “executive tower” where a rep had my tech bag.  She wrote some long story down in a large notebook and I had to give her my name, address, cedula number, and cellphone number before she returned it but everything was there!  Wow!

I retraced my steps but got off the metro at the Envigado station and walked to the mall.  While having coffee at Todo Fresa I received a text message from Juan Carlos.  It seems he is confused about our meeting date & time so instead of tomorrow we agreed to meet today at 4pm.  I left the café just before 3pm and returned to the apt feeling overheated from the 10 minute walk in my jeans.

Teresa informed me that we are meeting Esmeralda and Alejandro for pizza if I am back by 6pm from my meeting with Juan.  She said something about today being the “day of pizza” whatever that means.  Teresa had me change into shorts and I left 30 minutes later for Otra Parte.  Juan arrived 10 minutes late with a friend John who wanted to listen into our English conversation.  (It was getting cool in my shorts and I realized I should have worn shorts in the morning and jeans now.)

I told Juan the story about my chess background, including:

I first learned to play chess at the age of 13 by an English boy named Brandan Russell.  I’ve tried finding him on Facebook but so far no luck.  Maybe I don’t have the spelling of his name right so I asked my English friend John about that and he said “my mother’s maiden name was Russell so that seems to be spelled correctly.  The first name could be Brendon, a popular name for boys with Irish roots.”  I tried that also but still no luck.

When I worked for Sears I played in the Chicago Industrial Chess League for a few years and our team was good enough to win several 1^st and 2^nd place trophies.  I also played in a few USCF tournaments but that stopped when I had kids.

After some discussion, we agreed to meet Thursday afternoons from 2-4pm at the Otra Parte library where he would tutor me for 42mil ($13) an hour. Initially, this will be limited to October 31, November 7, 14, & 21 because then he leaves for Europe to play in chess tournaments.  This year he earned one Grandmaster norm but after January 1^st he will have to start over again because he has to get 3 in a calendar year.  I understand he teaches chess at the University of Envigado somewhere near City Plaza mall.  For homework he wants me to solve a set of 498 checkmate-in-one puzzles.  That ought to keep me buy between now and next Thursday.

We were finished by 5pm so I called Teresa to inform her that I had finished my meeting and would be returning soon.

Back at the apt complex I heard a loudspeaker apparently coming from behind the pool area and could vaguely see some decorations that gave me the impression that there was some type of Halloween party going on for children.

Teresa told me we were going to Pizza Americana in Itagui so I found their address online but for some reason when Esmeralda arrived with Alejandro in her car they had changed their minds and were looking for another place.  I guided them to Na Pizza where we had 2 pizzas, an appetizer and drinks for 120mil.  At my suggestion we then went next door to Parva where we had coffee until their 9pm closing time.  Glenn texted me that there is no Ciclovia tomorrow (probably because it’s election day) so he can meet for breakfast earlier at 8am.

Back at the apt there was some type of party going on somewhere nearby (or at least someone was playing loud Colombian music) and it hadn’t stopped by the time we went to bed at 11pm so we closed the bedroom window.  I fell asleep pretty quickly so I think the noise probably stopped soon after.

11,880 steps today.

Joke of the day

A man and a woman who have never met before find themselves in the same sleeping carriage of a train.

After the initial embarrassment, they both go to sleep, the man on the top bunk, the woman on the lower.

In the middle of the night, the man leans over, wakes the woman and says, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm awfully cold and I was wondering if you could possibly get me another blanket?"

The woman leans out and, with a glint in her eye, says, "I have a better idea, just for tonight, let's pretend that we're married."

"OK! AWESOME!" the man says happily.

"GOOD...” she says, “Get your own damn blanket!"

Friday, October 25, 2019

Last night I went to bed at 10:30, got up twice during the night, again at 6:30, finally waking/getting up at 7:30.

Among new US movie releases I would like to see The Current War: Director’s Cut (6.3).  Locally, there isn’t anything I want to see.

I watched the first 20 minutes of the Today show and left for the gym.  I found Marcos and gave him my old July/August Reader’s Digest.  I completed my limited set of exercises in an hour and 10 minutes.

Just after 1pm we got some hard rain and some lightning and I had to disconnect the TV.  (Wow, for a second I couldn’t remember how to spell lightning – I wrote lightnigh.)  Because of that Teresa cancelled our plans to go to Mayorca this afternoon.

I finally was able to watch all of The Post (7.2) on Direct TV.

Teresa reminded me that we have doctors appointments tomorrow at 10am and I reminded her that I’m playing chess with Dario tomorrow at 9am.  She made a call and rescheduled the appointments for next Wednesday between 8am and 5pm.

5,643 steps today.

Joke of the day

A fire started on some grassland near a farm.

The county fire department was called to put out the fire.

The fire was more than the county fire department could handle.

Someone suggested that a nearby volunteer bunch be called.

Despite some doubt that the volunteers would be of any assistance, the call was made.

The volunteers arrived in a dilapidated old fire truck.

They rumbled straight towards the fire, drove right into the middle of the flames and stopped!

The firemen jumped off the truck and frantically started spraying water in all directions.

Soon they had snuffed out the center of the fire, breaking the blaze into two easily-controlled parts.

Watching all this, the farmer was so impressed with the volunteer fire department's work and was so grateful that his farm had been spared, that right there on the spot he presented the volunteers with a check for $1,000. A local news reporter asked the volunteer fire captain what the department planned to do with the funds.

"That ought to be obvious," he responded, wiping ashes off his coat. "The first thing we're gonna do is get the brakes fixed on our fire truck!"

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Last night I went to bed at 10:45, got up once during the night, again at 6am, finally getting up at 6:45.

According to my balcony thermometer we have 100% humidity.

When I moved to Medellin in 2013 I brought a coffee mug with me that I had used at work.  It’s metal with a sealed lid and a rubber bottom.  A couple times in the past 6 years the rubber bottom has fallen off and I’ve had to superglue it back on.  The last few weeks I’ve been slowly scraping the old glue off the rubber and last night I glued it back on.  So far it seems to be holding up well.

Teresa left at 10am for her gym class.

At noon I started watching First Man (7.3) on Direct TV.  About 45 minutes into it Teresa called me to join her for lunch.  Outside the porteria a young man was handing out flyers.  I was about to tell him I can’t vote when I noticed the Pizza Hut logo.  He told me that there is now a Pizza Hut on the 1^st floor of the Jumbo grocery store on Avenida Las Vegas (Carrera 48 #25 Sur-136).  The coupon is for a regular 6 slice pizza (probably medium), a pack of Hut Poppers (whatever they are) and a 400ml soda for 19,900.  (Btw, I understand the election is next Sunday.  When I am King all US elections will be held on Sundays for the convenience of working Americans.)

I met Teresa at DoSabores where we had the menu of the day for 33mil.  We took a taxi to Mayorista and once inside the entrance there was a long line of trucks apparently waiting to exit (or else it was some type of protest?).  It took about 5 minutes to get through that to Euro.  As soon as I entered I saw pumpkins for sale but they were too small to make into a Jack-o-lantern.  I started helping Teresa by bringing things to the cart but she kept telling me we already had it back in the apt.  I gave up and went outside for a café con leche.

I texted Juan Carlos, the International chess Master, and made plans to meet him at Parva next Sunday afternoon at 4pm.

Teresa found Diego, the driver we’ve used before, to take us back to the apt.

I watched some Thursday night football when Teresa wasn’t watching one of her programs.

4,096 steps today.

Joke of the day

An elderly man and woman meet in a bar and get to talking.  They are enjoying their conversation so much that, when the bar closes, they decide to continue at the woman's apartment.

After a time, things start getting pretty romantic and they wind up in bed. Afterward, they're both lying there, staring at the ceiling.

The old man is thinking... "Gosh, if I had known she was a virgin, I would have been more careful with her."

The old lady is thinking... "Geez, if I had known he could get it up, I would have taken off my panties."

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Last night I went to bed at 10:45, was awakened briefly by a calf cramp, got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up at 7:45.

I watched the first 20 minutes of the Today show and just as I was getting ready to go to the gym Teresa proclaimed she was going back to bed and invited me to join her.  It took a while for me to fall asleep and I finally got up at 11am.

I left the apt at 12:10 for the 12:50 showing of Joker (8.9).  I added 50mil to my Platinum card, bought a preferred seat for 6mil and went into the Platinum room.  (I’m lacking 3 visits this year to renew my Platinum card for another year.) I gave my gift card to the cashier and she brought me a hamburger, a Kit Kat bar, a small popcorn and medium Coke for free for my birthday month.  I entered the theater as the trailers were in progress and the lady in the next seat kindly turned her cellphone flashlight on so I could set down my tray and find my seat.  The movie was only okay but I think Joaquin Phoenix should get an Oscar nomination for his role.  (Btw, the budget for making the movie was 55 million and to date it’s made 740 million worldwide.)

I went downstairs to Todo Fresa where I had a café con leche and checked the news on my cellphone.

I left after about an hour.  Walking down the street I passed a young lady wearing a winter coat with the collar turned up and a scarf wrapped tightly around her neck (and me feeling quite comofortable in my jeans and t-shirt.)  I picked up a bag of milk and a few bananas at Exito on my way back to the apt.  I saw a dark cloud coming overhead although it looked like it would soon pass.  I was back at the apt by 4:30.

We heard some loud thunder nearby but rain never developed.  That changed by 5:15 when it started raining steadily; so much for a small dark cloud.

6,344 steps today.

Joke of the day

A husband and wife are waiting at the bus stop with their nine children.

A blind man joins them after a few minutes.

When the bus arrives, they find it overloaded, and only the wife and the nine kids are able to fit onto the bus. 

So the husband and the blind man decide to walk.

After a while, the husband gets irritated by the ticking of the stick of the blind man as he taps it on the sidewalk, and says to him, "Why don't you put a piece

 of rubber at the end of your stick? That ticking sound is driving me crazy." 

The blind man replies, "If you would've put a rubber at the end of YOUR stick, we'd be riding the bus."

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Last night I went to bed at 10:45 (with a blanket, first time this year?), got up twice during the night, finally waking/getting up at 6am.

I left the apt just before 8am and walked to the mall.  I recycled a used vitamin bottle, printed some updated chess notes, and sat down at Habia Una Vez.  I had their 10mil breakfast special and Jose arrived about 20 minutes later.

We walked up to the food court and we went over my chess tournament games.  He had some good advice on a number of occasions.  Sometimes I look at my games and wonder what caused me to make a particular move.

For lunch he had a sandwich from Q’Bano and I had a new Frisby combo – 6 chicken nuggets bathed in BBQ sauce, an individual portion of coleslaw, a small order of fries and a small Coke for 15,900.

I had Jose talk to Teresa and I found out that I’m just to give the paper to Elizabeth, not Isabel, and then I can return to the apt.  (I swear with her accent it sounded more like Isabel than Elizabeth.)

We had time for just one game and I drew the Black pieces.  I ended up playing basically an English opening in reverse and he had me in trouble but I wriggled out and after 30 moves we agreed to a draw.

I walked back to the apt and Teresa gave me the piece of paper I’m supposed to give to Elizabeth at the clinic.

I walked down to Avenida Las Vegas and quickly was on a Sabaneta bus.  Traffic got very heavy and I soon saw that the bridge by the Aguacatala station was closed.  When we got to the traffic circle I saw that from there north of Avenida Las Vegas was also closed with lots of police milling about.  The bus got on the highway northbound and at one point about where EAFIT University would be I saw police in SWAT gear including plastic shields.  At Calle 10 it looked like the bus wasn’t going to turn so I got off when a woman got off.  I soon was in a taxi and I understood he could only go to 15^th street not 19^th street for some reason.  As we turned north on Avenida Las Vegas I saw the lanes south of us were closed.  I asked the driver what was going on and I understood that a polytechnic university was having a demonstration.

He took me all the way to Calle 19 but then he wanted 15mil not the 5,500 minimum fare.  I guess that’s what he meant by 15.

I only had to walk to the other side of the building on the street and go up to the 2^nd floor.  I had a piece of paper with Elizabeth written on it and I showed it to the rep.  She asked for ID and I told her I didn’t have any ID I just wanted Elizabeth to take the paper.  She refused so I called Teresa, she talked to the rep and then she took the paper.  (She wouldn’t even look at it when I handed it to her.)

I then called Teresa back and told her about the traffic problem and I would probably be returning late.  She suggested I take the metro.  I had 2 café con leches and a croissant in Habia Una Vez while I killed an hour.

Laura sent me a photo of a Jeep Lenny bought today. 

I walked over to Industriales metro station and there was a very long line.  Usually the longest line is for buying tickets and I have a Civica card so I walked to the far right like I was passing through to the other side then cut in line.  A woman complained and I’m sure she told me, at least, to get to the end of the line but I didn’t.  My bad!

I quickly got through the turnstyle and went downstairs just as a packed train arrived.  A few people squeezed on but I didn’t even try, I just moved to the end of the station where I thought there would be fewer people trying to get on.  Five minutes later another train arrived and I got a standing spot not far from the door.  I got off at Ayura station and walked to the bus stop where I was the 2^nd to last person to get on before it left.  It was full and it went quite a ways north before turning onto Avenida Last Vegas.  A woman got off at McDonald’s so I did the same and I only had to walk about 100 yards uphill.  I was back at the apt just before 7pm.

8,078 steps today.

Joke of the day

A wealthy man died and went to heaven.

He was met at the Pearly Gates by Saint Peter who led him down the streets of gold.

They passed mansion after mansion until they came to the very end of the street.

Saint Peter stopped the rich man in front of a little shack.

“This belongs to you,” said Saint Peter.

“Why do I get this ugly thing when there are so many mansions I could live in?” the man demanded.

“We did the best we could with the money you sent us!” Saint Peter replied.