Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Recovery Day #123!

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 3:15, woke up just after 6:15, did my Kegel exercises and got up at 6:45.

I left the apt just after 8:30 and took a taxi to Unicentro mall. I printed my SS backup codes and 2021 SS benefits letter in their Auros print shop. I walked 4-6 blocks (depends on which side of the street you’re using to count) to Inter-Col. I handed Daniela the benefits letter and I understand I’m done until they contact me again. I walked back to Unicentro mall as I recall they had a café area. I found Passion Café, Parmessano, and Todo Fresa next to each other.

I walked into what I thought was Todo Fresa but the waiter handed me a Parmessano breakfast menu. I took a quick look at the menu which had eggs and French toast. I googled Parmessano but it said their locations open at 11am or noon.

But they had an ad on the table that said their locations at Oviedo, Tesoro, and La Strada open for breakfast at 8am.

Interestingly, they were playing music from (before?) my dad’s time, the 1930s. The last song I heard as I was leaving included the lyrics, “When my sugar walks down the street all the little birdies go tweet, tweet, tweet.” Well, it was a nice change from Colombian and rap music.

I stopped at a paper store where I bought a couple of Pilot G-2 07 pens and a packet of hole reinforcement stickers for 18,500 pesos.

I went to the restroom to pee and they didn’t have toilet seats. I went downstairs to another restroom and the same thing. I ended up squatting over it to do my thing.

I bought a bottle of French’s Cattlemen’s BBQ Sauce for 13,950 that I found in Exito.

I walked out to the line of taxi and asked four of them before I found one willing (or able?) to take me back to my apt in Envigado.

I finished season 1 of The Good Doctor.

Teresa returned at 12:45. She has a 3pm doctor’s appointment on Calle 7 so she suggested we have lunch next door and after her appointment go to Santafe mall so she can check out the sales.

Our taxi driver didn’t know the back way to Calle 7 but with Teresa’s guidance he went up Ave. Las Vegas to the Aguacatala traffic circle then east to Ave. Poblado. I was a little surprised to see we moved pretty quickly down the Gold Mile arriving at our destination 90 minutes before her appointment.

We had lunch at El Boulevard, Teresa had a prepared Mexican salad and I had their menu of the day – soup, salad, pork with rice, and a drink – both for 20mil each.

We killed some time on our cellphones before her appointment an hour later. Next door she went to her appointment and I had coffee outside at their Il Capuccino café. Teresa soon returned and reported all is okay.

We took a taxi to Santafe mall. Teresa did some shopping then wanted something to eat so we went up to Crepes & Waffles. I wasn’t hungry – I shouldn’t have had that muffin with my coffee – so I just ordered a café con leche and she ordered vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce. Of course she couldn’t finish it so I helped a bit. I paid the bill then pointed out a nearby table where a couple was eating something in bread bowls. I showed her a photo of Panera Bread and all the things they offer in bread bowls and right away she wanted one. While she ordered I made a trip to the restroom.

The lock was broken on the first stall, the toilet was running nonstop on the second, a 7-year-old boy was standing at the door of the third like he didn’t know what to do, and the fourth and fifth were occupied. I went back to the first and did my thing with no interference.

I returned to the restaurant and Teresa had a chicken with mushroom bread bowl. I had a taste but refused to help her further. I paid the second bill and we went outside to the taxi area. A taxi driver refused to take us to Envigado because of heavy traffic. It was only 6:30 so Teresa suggested we check out the movie theater. We did but the only good movies in English (with Spanish subtitles) started at 9 and 9:30.

We sat down at a table nearby and killed time on our cellphones (glad I brought the external battery) until 8pm.

We went outside and this time, even though there was a slight drizzle, Teresa convinced the driver to take us to Envigado. As I was getting in I noticed he was using Waze so I downloaded the app right away. On the way, Waze at one point asked if the accident was still there – it wasn’t. Traffic was still heavy but we arrived back at the apt by 8:35. I tipped the driver 2mil.

I have another good game with my Russian opponent Angry_Horse. I managed to repel his attack so far and I’m up a piece to pawns so if I can hold, I should be able to win in the endgame.

I did my TENS 3000 procedure and for the first time I turned the intensity up from #4 to #5. I really didn’t notice a big change so maybe I should have tried that sooner.

The New York Times’ 7-day average of new daily infections and deaths has the US with 72,644 ð 70,291 ð 70,824 new cases and 1,508 ð 1,440 ð 1,400 new deaths.

Per Medellin Guru, as of yesterday, Colombia has a total of 1,369 ð 1,536 ð 1,428 new cases with 35 ð 32 ð 34 new deaths. Medellin has 244 ð 218 ð 269 new cases from October 25^th to 26^th. Envigado has 12 ð 16 ð 11 new cases from October 25^th to 26^th.

T-shirt of the day

Man’s ruin.