Thursday, March 12, 2020

Last night I went to bed at 10:30, got up once during the night, finally waking at 6:15 and getting up at 6:45.


The news reported 12 cases of the Corona Virus in Itagui; that’s getting pretty close to home. The mayor of Bogota issued a yellow alert over the virus.   I read that my favorite actor, Tom Hanks, and his wife Rita Wilson have the Corona Virus.  The NBA has suspended their season.  President Duque just cancelled all events of more than 500 people.  Well, it looks like I won’t be playing in the March 20-23 chess tournament.


Usually Parva gets crowded by 4:30 in the afternoon but yesterday it was almost empty.  I wonder if that was due to fear of getting/passing on the virus.


I left the apt about 9:45 and ran into MT at the guardhouse.  After crossing Avenida Poblado I was soon on a bus.  At Envios Market I picked up 3 pieces of junk mail – 2 Capital One credit card offers and a Cory Booker campaign information postcard.  I quickly was on a Sabaneta bus and got off by the bookstore where I exchanged paperbacks for 2mil.  I walked a block east of Parque Envigado where I had a young man adjust my Timex watch.  It’s lost 2 minutes in the last few years and it also couldn’t handle leap year day.  He didn’t want to charge me but I gave him 2 mil anyway.

I caught a bus back to La Buena Mesa, bought 2 bags of milk in Exito and was back at the apt by 11:15.


I left the apt again about 12:30 and walked to the mall.  I had Sport Wings’ nachos and 2 glasses of iced tea for 32mil.  Downstairs I had a café con leche at Todo Fresa while solving a few chess  puzzles.  I left about 2:45 and returned to the apt.  I exchanged a few things then walked to the Otra Parte library.  Juan arrived 5 minutes later.  I learned that the March 20-23 chess tournament has officially been cancelled.  (Not sure if it’s due to the Corona Virus.)  We went over the games I played against Jose in my Chessbase database while I asked questions about using the software.  My new Urologist’s secretary called and Juan helped me with the call.  My appointment for Tuesday has now been changed to 5pm tomorrow.  (That leaves me available to play chess with Jose next Tuesday.)  Teresa called me and asked me to meet her at the café outside H&M after my lesson.  Something about buying a dress.


After my lesson I returned to the apt in a light rain where I dropped off some things and picked up my debit card.  Even though the temperature was down to about 76 degrees it was still very humid.  I met Teresa and MT inside the small Crepes & Waffles outside H&M.  She said she wanted to buy sandwiches but she led me to the health store where they looked at loaves of healthy bread.  
Inside Exito she finally picked up fixings for hot sandwiches.  At checkout she tried to use her Exito points to lessen the purchase price but I understood she didn’t remember her pin number so the cashier had to cancel it and scan everything again.  Then Teresa went to the customer service desk where she waited in line again but was unsuccessful in finding out what her pin number is.


MT returned to her apt and we walked back to ours experiencing only a few raindrops.


Per the news, an 85-year-old tourist in Cartagena is in serious condition but other Covid-19 patients are recuperating.


Well, our roses are almost dead.  Actually, Teresa pointed out they aren’t really roses because they have no thorns.  I’m not sure what they are then.


12,320 steps today.


Joke of the day

John and Jessica were on their way home from the bar one night when John got pulled over by the police. The officer told John that he was stopped because his taillight was burned out.

John said, "I'm very sorry officer, I didn't realize it was out, I'll get it fixed right away."

Just then Jessica said, "I knew this would happen when I told you two days ago to get that light fixed." 

So the officer asked for John's license and after looking at it said, "Sir your license has expired." 

And again John apologized and mentioned that he didn't realize that it had expired and would take care of it first thing in the morning. 

Jessica said, "I told you a week ago that the state sent you a letter telling you that your license had expired." 

Well by this time, John was a bit upset with his wife contradicting him in front of the officer, and he said in a rather loud voice, "Jessica, shut your mouth!!"

The officer then leaned over toward Jessica and asked. "Does your husband always talk to you like that?"

"Not always," answered Jessica, "only when he's drunk!"