Monday, May 30, 2022

Today is Memorial Day in the States. Here it’s a different holiday, Dia de la Ascensción (Ascension Day).

Last night I went to bed at 10:15, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 1am (it was drizzling), fell back asleep quickly, got up again at 4am (still drizzling), took a little while to fall back asleep, finally waking/getting up at 7am.

I had an hourlong nap after breakfast.

We left at 10:45 and took a Didi to Pricesmart. We stocked up on everything (I got my Knott’s Berry Farm Strawberry Preserves) on our list then had a leisurely lunch in their cafeteria. We picked up our meat and got into one of their long lines to pay – 776,190 pesos or $199. We had a 10-15-minute wait to return to the apt by taxi. There was almost no traffic and we were back by 1:45.

We took a short nap then I left at 3pm for coffee. As expected, Parva was closed for the holiday, but Los Porteños was open. I had a couple small coffees and finished reading one of my chess books. When the waiter brought the check for 13mil, I noticed there was no service charge so I tipped him personally 2mil. I bought 2 bags of milk at the small grocery on my way back to the apt.

I looked ahead online at the marquee for Cine Colombia for Thursday and it has Jurassic World Dominion listed but IMDB has a US release date of June 10^th so I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Teresa called Gloria and had 2 slices of pizza delivered in 45 minutes for 32mil ($8).

Tonight, there’s supposed to be a special meteor display, but I don’t know if that’s just for the northern hemisphere. At 9pm I went out on the balcony and the sky above us was completely overcast. Strangely, to the south, about where Sabaneta begins it looked completely clear. I looked again at 10pm and it was completely overcast and drizzling.

 

Not so fun, pix

Sunday, May 29, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10:30, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 4am, fell back asleep quickly, finally being awakened by my alarm at 7am. That’s a good night’s sleep for me.

The plan is after I have breakfast with Glenn, I will call Teresa and she’ll meet me in the porteria, and we’ll go on to Pricesmart.

I left the apt at 8:15 and my Didi driver, Fredy, spoke perfect English. He worked for 18 years in New Jersey and is now retired here with an apt by Collegio Teresita. Traffic, with parking on both sides of the street, was heavy near EAFIT university as it was a voting location. (I understand if not one of the 3 running receives 50% of the vote, then there will be a runoff for the top two next month.) We had a nice conversation on the way to Sweet Georgia Café. When I got out, there were a couple girls standing outside and the waitresses told me they wouldn’t be open for 40 minutes. I prepared to inform Glenn via Whatsapp when I found he had already been there and had moved on to Sere. I walked about 4 blocks to Sere and it was good he was already there as it was the busiest I’ve ever seen it. We could barely talk it was so noisy. (Behind me was a man at one table talking to a lady at the next table which didn’t help the volume at all.) Glenn had their French toast and I had their Greek yogurt with granola and fruit. With our coffees, the total came to 60mil.

We moved across the street to the original Hija Mia for another coffee where it was very quiet and we could actually have a conversation. His issue after his TURP surgery is frequent urination so he tends to stay in his apt. I’m sure it will improve with time.

Teresa called me right after I left Hija Mia in a Didi to inform me she just took her cancer medicine and now she was tired. I said, “fine, we’ll go to Pricesmart later”. My driver was aware of the traffic near EAFIT and took the expressway back to Envigado.

Teresa asked me to look outside and I saw a line of cars on our street. We decided because of today’s election we will go to Pricesmart tomorrow.

I forgot to mention the portero dropped off the tax bill for the finca last night. Teresa informed me I won’t have to pay it anymore; it’s for the new owners although she will have to wait until the end of June for their 2^nd payment.

When we were leaving El Correo last night we passed another restaurant where someone had a small dog that looked like a small husky. I was surprised that Teresa said she could accept a dog like that. She said, “they eat less, poop less, etc.”. 😊

I looked at Pomeranian photos and they look similar to the dog we saw last night. Now we’re considering getting one but: 1. We’ll wait until after September when I’m healthier and we’ve had our trip to Punta Cana; 2. We need to explore where we can get the breed we want here in Medellin.

On my way to Parva I noticed the side street was full of parked cars, there was no construction being done on the side street, and once I rounded the corner I saw that the high school (Collegio San Marcos) was a voting station.

I bought 2 postres de arequipe y queso, one to have with my coffee and one to go. I left about 90 minutes later.

Uvalde shooting: The cowards in Stetsons (msn.com)

They say the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun, yet police waited over an hour in a hallway while the killer was free to kill. Cowards, all of them! Air travel is very safe because every time there is a crash they investigate and fix the problem. Why, when there is a mass killing, can’t a single step be taken toward correcting the problem? In time there would be a lot less killings. US students should protest by walking out of their classrooms and not returning until congress passes some legislation toward fixing the problem. Yes, I’m angry!

I just saw on 60 Minutes the damage a AR16 bullet does to a human body and now I’m even angrier.

I wasted at least 30 minutes trying to order from McDonald’s using the iFood app. Again, it doesn’t accept my debit card and this time it wouldn’t switch so I can pay in cash. Sometimes it does sometimes it doesn’t. I think I’m going to have to go there to figure this out.

Well, Petro won only 40% of the vote so there will be a runoff (if that’s the correct term) between him and Rodolfo Hernandez on June 19^th. Federico Gutierrez has been eliminated from the race.

About my chamomile tea. Each morning I have Teresa boil a cup of water while she’s making breakfast. I make up the tea, add a spoonful of sugar and a few drops of lemon, stir it well and put it in the fridge. Later I drink it as iced tea. Much better that way.

Teresa was so tired she got ready for bed instead of watching her usual 9:30 Sunday program, Septimo Dia.

 

 

Russian Joke

 

5 out of 6 scientists in Moscow agree that Russian Roulette is safe.

Saturday, May 28, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 5am so I slept through the night, couldn’t fall back asleep, finally getting up at 6am.

I had a short nap after breakfast.

Teresa left at 9am for the beauty parlor for…whatever they do there…nails, hair, eyebrows because tonight we plan on a nice dinner in El Correo. So, since that’s an all-day activity, I will be on my own for lunch.

I left at 9:30 and after coffee in Parva I went next door to Na Pizza where I had lunch. I had a Cesar salad and a strawberry juice for 42mil. (Delicious!)

I was back at the apt by 2pm.

Teresa called at 3:30 as she was still at the beauty shop.

Teresa returned at 6:30 and told me to quickly get dressed as her nephew Sebastian was waiting downstairs in his car to take us to El Correo. Teresa said he doesn’t have much money so she asked me to pay him as if he was a Didi. I checked at that would be 10mil.

He seemed unsure of the route so I turned on my Waze app, set it to El Correo and set it on my left thigh so he could see and hear the directions. He missed a turn off of Ave. Las Vegas but got corrected at the next corner. Teresa told me Sebastian isn’t in any hurry so we’re inviting him to join us for dinner. We missed a turn in Provenza a block or so from the restaurant and ended up parking next to the hotel I first stayed at back in 2012. (Now the name is different and it might be a hostel.) From there it was a 3-block walk to the restaurant. There were a couple of tables taken, a couple larger tables reserved and it got busier while we were there. I had the pepper steak and ribs before so this time I ordered the Baby Beef which I found out is like a skirt steak. It was tasty but (too) chewy so it wasn’t that pleasant. Teresa got chicken with vegetables and Sebastian had the ribs. For dessert I ordered cookies with ice cream to share although Teresa didn’t touch it. The check came to 238,810 ($61) and back at the parking garage it was 13mil for the parking.

On the way back to the apt Sebastian was in the wrong lane to turn onto Ave. Las Vegas so I recommended he turn right after the bridge which I thought would take us to the other side of Monterrey mall but it was the expressway. After he ignored a couple of my right turn requests I learned he thought we were going south when we were going north. We finally got turned around after the Industriales station. Southbound now on the expressway it then started to rain but luckily didn’t last long and we were back at the apt by 9:30.

 

Putin Joke

 

Putin asks a fortune teller: Where will I be in July?

The fortune teller answers: I see you in a limo driving through Kiev, the war between Russia and Ukraine has ended, and everyone is cheering.

Putin: Am I waving to them?

Fortune teller: No, the coffin is closed.

Friday, May 27, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night (it wasn’t raining but the street was wet), took quite a while to fall back asleep, finally waking/getting up at 7:15.

I had a nap after breakfast.

The Weather Channel only reports ahead 7-hours. At this point it says, “Thunderstorms are possible after 6pm.” As time goes on, I’m hoping that will get pushed back.

Teresa left at 11:30 to take MT to Clinica Medellin. After they are going to Santafe Mall for lunch and to shop. I told her I’m thinking of going to Poblado to play chess. She asked me to call her when I’m done so we might be able to share a taxi back to Envigado.

I left at 12:30 and took a bus to Poblado. I walked down to the Pequeno Libreria and their door was open but none of the stuff I could see inside had been set up. Across the street at 404 Pizza I took my time with an order of penne pasta with a basket of garlic bread and a Coke for 37,840 ($9.50).

I've already eaten half the basket of garlic bread.

An hour later as I left they were setting up across the street.

I walked about 6 blocks to Masaya and it was obvious the Friday lunch rush was over and I didn’t see anyone inside playing chess.

Outside I saw the robot package deliver machine again and I thought I took video of it but all I see in my gallery is this short video and this still:

so I guess they made a permanent move to their new Manila location.

I called Teresa and told her I would be at Santafe mall in about 30 minutes.

I passed Philly Steaks where I found this sign:

At Ave. Poblado I waited 5 minutes for a Sabaneta bus. I got off at Oviedo and walked a block to the pedestrian crossing to Santafe mall. It was another 5 minutes for the light to come on for pedestrians to cross. I went up to the 5^th floor and checked out Cine Colombia’s offerings but the only show in English was Top Gun that I had just seen.

I met the ladies outside of Percimon where we had yogurt ice cream. I hated to use two of my 20’s but I had forgotten to bring an extra 50 for such a purpose.

I finally made contact with a guy in Envigado who plays chess and we’re making plans to meet at Otra Parte on Sunday.

We took a taxi back to Envigado, dropped off MT at La Bahia and returned to our apt for 14mil.

We had a nap for about an hour.

Esmeralda picked us up about 7pm

It was when Teresa asked me to change clothes and order a car that I learned that Esmeralda wasn’t coming. The Didi car to Antica Pizza cost almost 10mil (busy time?) when usually a taxi only costs 6-7,000 pesos. We each had our usual slice of pizza (with water) for a total of 24,500 pesos ($6). At a corner bakery we bought pastries for the porteros and returned to the apt by taxi for 7,800 pesos. Teresa wanted to see her Desafio program but found out it was preempted by the final presidential debate. The election is Sunday but I don’t know if that will be the final or if its still some type of primary.

 

 

Putin Joke

 

Obama went to meet Putin in Moscow…

…After dinner at the kremlin, Putin asks Obama to join him in a separate room. He leads Obama into a white room with three red buttons and a two- way mirror, and he closes the door behind him.

Not knowing what to do, Obama decides to press the first button. He pressed it and a giant boxing glove comes out of the wall and hits him in the stomach.

Putin and the other Russians in the other side of the mirror start laughing.

Obama pressed the second button, a pie come out the wall and hits him in the face.

The Russians in the other side of the mirror are bent over laughing.

Obama pressed the third button, and a bucket of cold water gets poured over his head. The Russians can’t contain their laughter.

Putin comes to get Obama, he tells him “you Americans have a good sense of humor, you’re a good sport, we should hang out more sometime”

“Great” Obama said, “come to Washington next month.”

So Putin comes to Washington and him and Obama have a great dinner, after which Obama leads Putin into a similar white room with three red buttons and a two-way mirror. He closes the door behind him.

Putin presses the first button, nothing happens.

The Americans on the other side of the glass start laughing.

Putin pressed the second button, nothing happens.

The Americans on the other side of the glass are crying and laughing.

Putin pressed the third button, nothing happens.

The Americans are rolling on the ground with laughter.

Obama goes to Putin and Putin tells him “you Americans have great sense of humor, you’re a good guy Obama, why don’t you come next month to Moskva for dinner.”

“Moscow?” Obama says laughing… “what Moscow?

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night (it wasn’t raining but the street was wet), got up again at 5:45 and was surprised Teresa was up getting ready to leave, went back to bed and woke/got up at 6:30am.

I finished my bottle of Knott’s Berry Farm strawberry preserves. I can’t believe I didn’t buy more last time we were at Pricesmart. I guess we’ll be making a trip back there soon.

Teresa left at 9am for her gym class.

I met Marcos at Maca at 10am. When he visits his grandsons in July his gf is going to return to Venezuela to renew her passport and check to see if they can get married there.

I stopped in Mercado Madrid and looked for a bottle of jelly or preserves but left with only 2 bags of milk.

Teresa returned at 12:15.

The Weather Channel states, “thunderstorms possible after 3pm”.

When Teresa returned she asked where I was and I reminded her I had coffee with Marcos at Maca café. Where is that she asked? I reminded her I pointed it out to her yesterday when we were on our way to El Tesoro. Not that she listens to me.

At 5pm I was getting ready to leave for the movie. At the last-minute Teresa decided she wanted to go too. She was on the phone with MT when she decided at the last second not to go. She is going to visit with her mother and I will call her when I leave the theater as we may return to the apt in the same taxi.

I left the apt at 5:15 and took a Didi to the mall. There was no line in Cine Colombia and I bought an iMax ticket for 15,800 ($4). At first I asked for a preferred seating but the only available seats were off to the side. I found a general seat near the center and a few rows from the top. I bought a hot dog and Coke for 10,000 pesos ($2.50). After I finished that I had a 45-minute wait until showtime. With 15 minutes before, lines were starting to form at concessions so I bought a medium popcorn, refilled my Coke and entered the theater. (I noticed on my receipt I have accrued 2,330 Platinum points that I should be able to use for future tickets or snacks.) Surprisingly, the theater was nearly full, I guess a lot of people purchased their tickets online ahead of time. I saw trailers for the upcoming Elvis (June release) and Jurassic World Dominion (July release), two movies I’m looking forward to seeing.

Some interesting Top Gun facts: 1. Tom Cruise will turn 60 in July, 2. Val Kilmer had a tracheotomy but is now cancer-free, 3. Top Gun paid the US Navy $11,000+ an hour for jet rentals, and 4. Tom Cruise sat in the rear seat of 2-person jets and wasn’t allowed to touch any controls. Lol.

I overdid the Coke so I had to make a trip to the restroom halfway through the movie. The movie was very good and I gave Top Gun a rating of 9 on my Runpee app. The theater was now getting crowded for the later showtimes.

I called Teresa and she was already back at the apt so I just took a taxi back.

 

Putin Joke

 

Vladimir Putin, to get on the good side of voters, goes to visit a school in Moscow to have a chat with the kids.

He talks to them about how Russia is a powerful nation and how he wants the best for the people.
At the end of the talk there is a section for questions.
Little Sasha puts her hand up and says, "I have two questions. Why did the Russians take Crimea and why are we sending troops to Ukraine?"
Putin says, "Good questions". But just as he is about to answer the bell rings and the kids go to lunch.
When they come back, they sit down and there is room for some more questions. Another girl, Masha, puts her hand up and says "I have four questions. Why did the Russians invade Crimea, why are we sending troops to Ukraine, why did the lunch bell ring 20 minutes early and where the hell is Sasha?

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up twice during the night, and woke/got up at 7am.

I forgot to pick up milk yesterday, so Teresa ordered 2 bags delivered along with a package of crackers and a papaya.

One thing I just realized is the tightness in my abdomen that I’ve had since my surgery has lessened considerably. It still feels like someone is poking me sometimes though.

I had a nap after breakfast.

We left the apt at 11:30 and took a Didi to El Tesoro mall for 10mil. Teresa did some shopping and bought a skirt in Zara. We had lunch in a new place (for us) in the 1^st basement, called Merka Organica. I had lasagna (room temperature) which came with a salad (no dressing) and a roll. Teresa had some kind of seasonal vegetable dish and we shared a bottle of pineapple drink for 57,200 ($15).

Between 2 and 4pm we had our teeth cleaning with Dr. Rendon for 190mil each.

We had yogurt ice cream with fixings (blueberries and peanuts for me) at Percimon for 26mil.

She did some more shopping and bought some face cream in Medipiel.

We had a short wait for a taxi back to Envigado for 15mil.

I showed Teresa the trailer for Top Gun: Maverick (8.7) again and she decided to join me tomorrow for the 6:30 showtime after all. This is one movie I want to see in their iMax theater.

Teresa has a 6am appointment for a blood test in nueve eps in Envigado tomorrow. I understand she’s going to have her vitamin B checked.

 

 

Putin Joke

 

A Russian truckdriver stops at the back of a long queue on the motorway. He sees a policeman walking down the line of stopped cars to briefly talk to the drivers. As the policeman approaches the truck, the truckdriver rolls down his window and asks:

Driver: What's going on?

Policeman: A terrorist is holding Putin hostage in a car. He's demanding 10 million rubles, or he'll douse Putin in petrol and set him on fire. So, we're asking drivers for donations.

Driver: Oh, ok. How much do people donate on average.

Policeman: About a gallon.

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, and woke/got up at 6:45am.

Teresa is leaving for a 9:15 doctor’s appointment in El Tesoro so I will be on my own for breakfast.

I left the apt at 8:30 and took a Didi to the mall. At Auros they returned my 8GB USB drive in a plastic bag; we’ll see later what’s on it. I had my breakfast in Habia Una Vez. I said hello to Maritza and she asked about Jose. What used to cost 11mil is now 14,500 so that shows there’s been some inflation.

I recycled a plastic bottle then went to Scotiabank Colpatria to make an ATM withdrawal but the machine wasn’t working so I went to Davivienda instead.

I caught a taxi to Eduardo Madrid bakery where I bought a sleeve of 3 plain bagels for 8,100 pesos.

Outside on the sidewalk a man in the street shouted something to me and pointed down. I looked down and at my feet was a rat about 12” long, including the tail. It looked like his head may have been injured and even though his eyes were open it wasn’t moving.

I walked 2 blocks to Parva where I had a café con leche. Nobraskja texted me that a package for me arrived in Miami. I told her it must be my book from The Netherlands and I would send her the details when I returned to my apt.

Back at the apt I forwarded Nobraskja my order confirmation email.

I checked my USB drive and it appears all my files are back. 😊 Strange! I reviewed them and ended up deleting them all.

I left the apt at 2pm for lunch at Clap Burgers. This time I got their combo #1 which included their house iced tea.

Under my table was a beggar also waiting for my food.

The burger was good, butthe fries were over done (most were crispy) and the tea was okay.

Across the street I had a latte in Otra Parte. About 4pm I heard loud thunder but I didn’t leave until 5pm returning in a few raindrops. Tree cover helped keep me mostly dry.

Teresa got trapped in El Tesoro and didn’t return until 7:45. She told me a story of running into the gringo Bill again who she later introduced to Ana Lucia. She said he was looking for a jacket for $20, and he didn’t want to pay a taxi 20mil for a trip to Bello, so he got branded as cheap.

 

Putin Joke

 

A man stands in line at an ATM in Moscow.

After an hour he loses his patience and yells 'Putin is to blame for this I'm going to the Kremlin and kill him!'

30 minutes later he's back in line at the ATM.
'Why are you here again?'

'The line in front of the Kremlin is twice as long as this one...'

Monday, May 23, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up twice during the night, and woke/got up at 7am.

I looked ahead and it appears Top Gun: Maverick (8.4) will be playing at 6:20pm Thursday in the Cine Colombia Imax.

I left the apt at 9:15 and took a Didi to the mall. Once again the driver was late arriving, either she got lost or more likely construction around Ave Poblado delayed her.

I successfully made an ATM withdrawal with my Charles Schwab debit card.

At Auros I found a young lady who spoke good English so I could explain the problem I’m having with my USB memory drive. They didn’t know what the strange file was either so they called someone. After waiting about 10 minutes I told her I was going to do some shopping in Exito then I would return. I bought a 3-pack of Punto Blanco underwear, a 10-pack of plastic clothes hangers, a bag of oatmeal, a container of dishwashing soap, a bottle of imported teriyaki sauce, a box of toothpicks, and a single imported lemon.

Back at Auros they told me they would have to send my memory drive to another “venue”. I asked when I should come back and was told in the afternoon.

I had coffee in Santa Leña before returning to the apt by taxi.

I left the apt at 3pm and took a Didi to the mall. I bought a blueberry muffin in Starbucks and ate it with 2 café con leches in Todo Fresa.

At Auros a young man recognized me and immediately shook his head. I said, “mañana?” and he nodded his head. I returned to the apt by taxi. Fifteen minutes later I received a call from “Auros VE” and I handed the telephone to Teresa. She reported that my USB drive is ready for pickup.

Teresa wanted pizza but didn’t want to go out so she called her friend Gloria and had pizza delivered. It took 50 minutes and cost 33mil, including delivery. I was standing at the apt doorway watching for the elevator to go down to the garage when the young man surprised me by taking the stairs.

 

Putin Joke

 

President Putin is sitting in his office when his telephone rings.

"Hello, Mr. Putin!" a heavily accented voice said. "This is Paddy down at the Harp Pub in County Cork, Ireland. I am ringing to inform you that we are officially declaring war on you!"

"Well, Paddy," Putin replied, "This is indeed important news! How big is your army?"

"Right now," says Paddy, after a moment's calculation, "there is meself, me cousin Seán, me next door neighbour Seamus, and the entire darts team from the pub. That makes eight!"

Putin paused. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 1,000,000 men in my army waiting to move on my command."

"Begoora!" says Paddy. "I'll have to ring you back."

Sure enough, the next day, Paddy calls again. "Mr. Putin, the war is still on. We have managed to get us some infantry equipment!"

"And what equipment would that be Paddy?" Putin asks.

"Well, we have two combines, a bulldozer, and Murphy's farm tractor."

Putin sighs amused. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 60,000 tanks and 50,000 armoured personnel carriers. Also, I have increased my army to 1,500,000 since we last spoke."

"Saints preserve us!" says Paddy. "I'll have to get back to you."

Sure enough, Paddy rings again the next day. "Mr. Putin, the war is still on! We have managed to get ourselves airborne! We have modified Jackie McLaughlin's ultra-light with a couple of shotguns in the cockpit, and four boys from the Shamrock Bar have joined us as well!"

Putin was silent for a minute and then cleared his throat. "I must tell you, Paddy, that I have 1000 bombers and 2000 fighter planes. My military bases are surrounded by laser-guided, surface-to-air missile sites. And since we last spoke, I have increased my army to 2,000,000!"

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!" says Paddy, "I will have to ring you back."

Sure enough, Paddy calls again the next day. "Good mornin', Mr. Putin! I am sorry to inform you that we have had to call off the war."

"Really? I am sorry to hear that," says Putin. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Well," says Paddy, "we had a long chat over a few pints of Guinness, and we decided there is no way we can feed 2,000,000 prisoners."

Sunday, May 22, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up thrice during the night (too much late Coca Cola), had no problem falling back asleep and was awakened by my alarm at 7am.

Teresa asked me why I don’t play music using my brother’s speaker. I connected it and it took a while for me to figure out that it’s wireless. I guess I only have to plug it in to recharge it.

I left the apt just after 8am and met Glenn with Bianca in Ganso y Castor by 8:30. He’s doing well physically just experiencing often and sudden urges to urinate. He ordered pancakes, two fried eggs and a banana muffin; I guess he was hungry. I had the French toast with strawberries and bananas. They left and I had coffee in Parva for an hour before returning to the apt.

My iPod seems to be dying; today it only played two songs, La Bamba and I Walk the Line. I’ll resync it and see if that helps.

I chatted with a Charles Schwab rep about yesterday’s ATM problem and she asked me, “Are you by chance travelling international?” I told her I’m presently visiting Colombia but might visit Dominican Republic later in the year. She unblocked my debit card but only gave me a travel clearance for the next 14 days. I asked how I can reset that online and she said to go to Service, Debit Cards, Travel Notice. I hope this doesn’t turn out to be a problem.

Today’s news reported increased cases of Covid-19 in Colombia.

I ordered chicken from Frisby but then lost my internet connection so I can’t see the progress of the order. I guess if they’re not here by 2pm I’ll have to order again. The order arrived at 1:20 so all is good.

The last time I heard from Jose, my Cuban chess playing friend, was March 7^th when he said he would be traveling to the US on a one-way ticket and he didn’t know when he would return. Yesterday he said he returned a few days ago, he was fine and was able to get many things done. I told him I still have sleep issues and haven’t even been playing correspondence chess.

The rain started about 3:15 but wasn’t very heavy nor lasted long.

Interestingly, today I found a few people had posted Putin jokes (mine) on Expat Exchange.

I watched the end of the PGA championship then 60 Minutes. The second episode was about Hope Chicago sending all of Chicago’s south side Johnson College Prep students to college.

 

Putin Joke

 

Putin consulted with a fortune teller who predicted that he would die on a Ukrainian holiday.

Putin asks: "Which one?”

To which the fortune teller responded, “Whenever you die it will be a Ukrainian holiday!”

Saturday, May 21, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, had no problem falling back asleep and woke/got up at 6:30.

Received a text from Laura’s friend Galo suggesting that he pick up his carryon tonight so I suggested 7pm. (We might go out for dinner tonight if it’s not raining.)

I left the apt at 9 and took a Didi to the mall. I bought a box of 30 Zopiclona at CaFam for 30,400 compared to the 13,000 I paid last time in Todo Drogas. I printed a new summary page of my pensions for my files. I picked up a Gente newspaper and recycled a plastic bottle.

In the banking area my Charles Schwab debit card was declined in Davivienda with the message, “Transaccion con problemas. Intente luego” which I interpret as “problem transaction. Try again later”. In Scotiabank Colpatria I received the message, “transacccion negada. Contacte su entidad”, or “transaction denied. Contact your bank”. Lastly, I tried Servibanca and it didn’t work their either. Not having much cash on me certainly limited the errands I wanted to run.

I had coffee in Todo Fresa and made arrangements to meet Galo in the porteria at noon to return his carryon.

Glenn doesn’t want to travel far from home so tomorrow we’re going to meet in Ganso y Castor in La Buena Mesa at 8:30am.

I purchased a large carton of eggs, bottle of vanilla extract and a bag of milk in Exito before returning to the apt by taxi.

Strangely, it looks like something happened to my USB drive. All my files are gone and a single large strange file is in its place and I can’t delete it.

It started raining about 4pm. The Weather Channel predicts storms should be over by 5:30. We were planning on going to dinner tonight at El Correo if it isn’t raining.

Well, soon we had a downpour, and it didn’t end until 5:15 so now Teresa says it’s too cold to go out. About 6:30 she decided she wanted to order from McDonald’s. I had to restart my cellphone before the iFood app would work. As usual they estimated 55-65 minutes for delivery but it arrived in 30 minutes, by bicycle. I gave the muchacho a nice tip in addition to the delivery charge he must get. (I forgot to add a slice of cheese to Teresa’s chicken sandwich, my bad.)

 

Putin Joke

President Putin and his driver were on their way to Kyiv in a car when all of a sudden they hit a pig near a farmhouse, killing it instantly.

Putin told his driver to go up to the farmhouse and explain to the owners what had happened. About one hour later Putin sees his driver staggering back to the car with a bottle of Horilka (Ukrainian vodka) in one hand, a cigar in the other and his clothes all ripped and torn.

"What happened to you?" asked Putin.

"Well, the farmer gave me the Horilka, his wife gave me a box of cigars and their 19-year-old and 21-year-old daughters made mad passionate love to me simultaneously.

"My God, what did you tell them?" asks Putin.

The driver replies, "I'm president Putin’s driver, and I just killed the pig.

Friday, May 20, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, had no problem falling back asleep and woke/got up at 7am.

My plan for this morning was to go to Viva Envigado but Teresa is talking about Santafe mall so we’ll see.

We both had a little nap after breakfast.

We left the apt just after noon and took a Didi to Santafe mall for just under 6,000 pesos. While Teresa did some shopping I went upstairs to check out Cine Colombia. The movie “Dog” had 3 showtimes but they were all in Spanish. I noticed a line on my way downstairs and I noticed a man with an American passport. I asked him what’s going on and he said he is waiting for a vaccination. I asked if they are giving the 2^nd booster and he said, “yes”.

Teresa and I had lunch in Crepes & Waffles. I had a chicken Cesar salad and a strawberry juice with milk which is kind of like a strawberry milkshake. Teresa had some type of salad and the total bill came to 44mil ($11).

She did some more shopping and finally made a pants exchange in Pull & Bear.

When we left about 4pm I was surprised to see it was sunny out, not the usual overcast or rain. The taxi ride back was just under 10mil.

We both took a short nap.

Dr. Castaño’s office called and he changed my June 7^th appointment to June 24^th at 10:40am.

I finished watching the limited series The Lincoln Lawyer (7.7) on Netflix.

 

Putin Joke

 

Vladimir Putin is in the line for customs when he arrives at Poland for a summit.
Customs Officer: "Name?"
Putin: "Vladimir Putin."
Customs Officer: "Nationality?"
Putin: "Russian."
Customs Officer: "Occupation?"
Putin: "No, just visiting."

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, had trouble falling asleep again and woke/got up at 7am.

Teresa hurried out of the apt. She said her niece fell in the bathroom and she’s in the hospital. From the porteria she called me because she couldn’t get a taxi so she asked me to order a Didi to Hospital de Envigado. Only one hospital came up - Manuel Uribe Angel so I hope that’s the correct one.

I had coffee with Marcos in Maca from 10am to 10:30. I took him up on his offer to buy me a MagicJack Home at Best Buy when he’s visiting AZ again in July. It should only be about $50 and I told him I would pay him 200,000 pesos.

I bought a few things in Mercado Madrid before returning to the apt.

Teresa called me at 11:30 to tell me she was still at the hospital waiting for test results.

I used Talk360 to call Metlife and change the direct deposit on my 3^rd pension. It turns out it wasn’t necessary because both my 2^nd and 3^rd pensions are now paid by Metlife so my request was already processed.

Teresa called me at 12:45 and asked me to meet her at Asados Rogelio for lunch. She told me that Catalina slipped in the bathroom and did a face plant. The test results were negative so no broken bones. While there I read an online article that said people with tinnitus, like me, often have sleep problems. Lunch today was 24mil each, the last I remember it was 19mil each. I wasn’t that hungry and I only finished about half of my food.

I was so tired as soon as I returned to the apt I went to bed for a nap. It took a while to fall asleep but even 30 minutes was worth it.

The only new movie in English is Dog (6.5) but Teresa wasn’t even interested in seeing the trailer.

Glenn saw Dr. Castaño this afternoon and got his catheter taken out.

At 5:30 Teresa asked to see the trailer for Dog. Now she wants to see it but it starts at 9:35 and is an hour and 40 minutes long so we wouldn’t get out until 11:30.

I noticed the street was a little damp and soon we had a downpour. Teresa showed me something high in the sky outside the kitchen window. I told her it’s a box kite but she things it’s some type of animal. Strange that it doesn’t move and that someone would fly it in the rain.

 

Putin Joke

Biden said, "Mr. Putin, the reason that I love my country is that a man can walk right into The White House and say, 'I don't like the way that Joe Biden is running The United States of America.'"

Putin responded, "That's true in Russia, too. Anyone can walk into the Kremlin and say, 'I don't like the way that Joe Biden is running the United States of America.'"

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up twice during the night, and woke/got up at 7am. (The second time I got up it was pouring outside so I put a blanket over my sheet.) I feel pretty refreshed; we’ll see how long the feeling lasts.

Teresa left just before 9am for a gym class. She shared with me that Patricia has a car making it more convenient to get to the various gym classes.

I left at 9:15 and had coffee in Parva for about 90 minutes before returning to the apt.

Nobraskja texted me that I have an order in Miami so I emailed her my order for the Joint Support supplements which, for customs, will confirm what I ordered and how much. (I think customs duties kick in over $200.)

Teresa texted me from Crepes & Waffles to ask what she can bring me for lunch. I asked for chicken with curry because it was the only thing I could recall having there.

I finished watching The Highwaymen (6.9) on Netflix and started watching the limited series The Lincoln Lawyer (7.7).

Teresa returned at 1:30 with an order of chicken with curry. I sure wish I could get it with rice instead of a crepe.

According to The Weather Channel no rain until 4:30 so I have a window of opportunity.

A typical day here seems to be a high of 78-82 degrees with some rain.

I left the apt at 2:30 and walked to Los Portenos where I had 2 small lattes for 13mil. I made sure I was back at the apt by 4:30, anticipating afternoon storms.

I arranged to meet Marcos for coffee tomorrow at 10am.

I haven’t been that crazy about my chamomile tea so I’ve started drinking it as iced tea. 😊

I checked my files and found a recent letter that informed me that my pension payments were turned over to MetLife as of January 1^st this year. I’ve got their telephone number and I’ll give them a call tomorrow.

I’m getting a lot of pressure from Teresa to see a movie but there isn’t anything decent playing right now. I told her to wait one more week (Memorial Day weekend) and the good flicks should start arriving.

Teresa again asked me about my cookie recipe. I gave her the one for oatmeal cookies so she can check to see if she has all the ingredients.

 

 

Putin Joke

Putin heard that many Russian soldiers are getting sick in Ukraine, so he sends a health inspector to join the Russian army to improve its sanitary conditions. The inspector asks a general, “How do you prepare drinking water?” “First, we filter it. Then we boil it.” “And after that?” “Well, to be safe, we just drink vodka.”

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up three time during the night, and woke/got up at 6:45.

Teresa left at 9am for a gym class and then she’s going to Mayorca. I’m going to run errands in Parque Envigado and if I’m still feeling okay, I’ll go to Masaya to play chess in the afternoon. So Teresa doesn’t have to worry about making me lunch we agreed I would have lunch out.

I left at 9:30 and as I was approaching Ave. Poblado a Sabaneta bus passed by. By the time I got to the end of the block there were 2 more Sabaneta buses coming my way. I got off near the bookstore where, for 3 mil, I exchanged my hardback for another James Patterson novel. At the copy center I had a couple pages printed and at $efecty I paid the Direct TV bill. A block away I jumped on an Envigado bus without looking at the destination in the front window so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when it turned down to Ave. Las Vegas. My plan had been to get off at Smartfit and buy milk at the mercado across the street. I ended up getting off near Eduardo Madrid where I bought two bags of milk before returning to the apt.

Teresa called about 11:15; apparently she’s had enough of Mayorca and is heading back to the apt.

At 1pm I was dressed and ready to go to Poblado when I heard a loud peal of thunder. I waited ten minutes and it started pouring. I ended up ordering chicken wings from Rocket Wings.

Watching Meltdown inspired me to watch The China Syndrome. Even though it starred Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas, Jack Lemmon and Wilford Brimley the plot and execution is definitely showing its age (1979).

Teresa returned about 2:30 and we took a 45-minute nap.

My last appointment with Dr. Castaño was March 1^st so its about time for another PSA test. I checked my medical file and I have an appointment at 2pm on June 7^th so I’ll get my PSA test June 1^st or 2^nd.

I received an email that my Joint Support order has shipped.

Teresa went to an exercise class at the gym and managed to just beat the rain getting there.

No more rain before we went to bed.

 

Putin Joke

Putin dies and goes to hell, but after a while, he is given a day off for good behavior. So he goes to Moscow, enters a bar, orders a vodka, and asks the bartender:

-       Is Crimea ours? – Yes, it is.

-       And the Donbas? – Also ours.

-       And Kyiv? – We got that too.

Satisfied, Putin finishes his drink and asks,

-       how much do I owe you?

-       5 Euros.

Monday, May 16, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 1:30, (outside it was raining) and woke/got up at 6am.

Glenn should be having his surgery soon.

I had a short nap after breakfast.

I met Marcos at Maca at 10am for coffee. He wants to marry his girlfriend and he asked if women change their last names when they marry. I thought not but I asked our waitress if she was married. At least that’s what I thought “tu casarte?” meant. She got all flustered and replied “no”. I asked her if Colombian women change their last names when they get married and she said, “no”. Marcos is returning to AZ in July for his grandsons’ 3^rd birthday and he offered to buy me a MagicJack in Best Buy. We are probably going to meet again for coffee on Wednesday or Thursday.

I walked across the street to a bus stop where I soon was on an Envigado bus to Viva Envigado.

I tried paying the Direct TV bill at Baloto but was told, “DirectTV Elsa appearing as having overdue bills and she is not making payments.”  I’m not sure what that video translation means but this was my 3^rd attempt. The ball is now in Teresa’s court.

I made a large ATM withdrawal and returned to the apt by taxi.

Teresa called Direct TV and I have to go to $efecty to pay the bill. I wanted to avoid that because it’s in Parque Envigado but I guess that’s where I’ll be headed tomorrow.

I’m suspending playing correspondence chess on Chess.com for a while. I seem to be throwing games away, I hope just because I’m not sleeping well.

The Weather Channel predicts possible thunderstorms after 6pm so I should be good to go for today.

After lunch I was too tired to go to Poblado to play chess so I had an hour nap instead.

Glenn’s surgery was successful and he’s uncomfortable but not in pain.

I used Talk360 and managed to change another one of my pensions but having great difficulties (online and calling) with the 3^rd. I emailed Talk360 support for help with the phone number. To be continued.

I ordered 2 bottles of Joint Support from Arazo Nutrition. I understand Esmeralda has fibromyalgia and I think I’ll give her one and see if it helps.

We went to Antica Pizza tonight and 3 slices cost 34mil ($8.50). Our young Didi driver spoke near perfect English, said he had family in Canada and the US and learned English listening to music and watching videos.

 

Funny pix of the day

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up twice during the night (I’m sure it was all the Coke I drank at the movie theater), again at 5am (outside it was raining) and woke/got up at 7am. No longer raining and The Weather Channel doesn’t predict any rain (next 7 hours anyway). Between 5am and 7am I had my short recurring dream about college. It appears to be about the first day of classes and I’m heading to my dorm.

Just after 8am I ordered a Didi car but by following his arrival on my app he seemed to get lost. What was estimated to be a 9-minute trip took at least 20 minutes. After he picked me up I saw him looking at his phone’s GPS sitting on his thigh. He seemed confused/lost so I just gave him directions to SERE and I arrived only 5-10 minutes late. Glenn had arrived early and was having hot chocolate while playing a game of pinochle on his tablet. He finally finished about 20 minutes later so we could talk. He’s scheduled for his TURP surgery tomorrow morning at 7am and he has someone to stay with him for the next few days and he already put Bianca in a puppy daycare. He suggested a couple movie series for me to try. I returned to the apt by Didi.

Laura texted me that her best friend is here and will be leaving tomorrow with another friend for Cartagena and she asked if he could store a suitcase here for a week until they get back. Sure!

Teresa left just after 11am for a gym class at the Ave. Poblado location.

I started watching Meltdown: Three Mile Island on Netflix.

In the evening at Teresa’s suggestion we met MT at the end of our block to go to Percimon for yogurt but at the last second MT wanted to go to Parva for coffee. We all had a latte and shared two slices of some type of apple cake.

We left just after dark and stopped at Tienda D1 so Teresa could buy arepas.

Using My Social Security I redirected my social security direct deposit to Charles Schwab (JP Morgan Chase) effective July 3^rd. I was able to redirect one of my pensions to USAA but I will have to call the other two because I wasn’t able to login to my account.

About 8:30 Laura’s Ecuadorian friend Galo stopped by with his carry-on and we chatted for a bit. He leaves for Cartagena tomorrow for a week. He’ll most likely pick up his carry-on next Saturday morning.

My chess rating continues to plummet and has now fallen to 1539. I’m thinking my lack of sleep is affecting my performance.

 

Funny pix of the day

Saturday, May 14, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, and woke/got up at 7:15. This time Teresa started snoring at 1am so I just took my blanket and pillow into the guest bedroom and slept there.

I tried taking a nap after breakfast but couldn’t fall asleep.

I left the apt at 12:15 and took a Didi to the mall. At the Baloto stand I paid the internet and utility bills but the Direct TV’s system was down.

Upstairs I had chicken teriyaki with a glass of water in Sarku’s.

In Cine Colombia I bought a combo that included a small popcorn, a medium soda, and a small chocolate bar. I saved the bar for later but consumed the rest while checking out my cellphone.

I bought 2 bags of milk and a bottle of decaffeinated coffee in Exito.

Outside there was a line for taxis but it moved pretty quick and I was back at the apt by 3pm.

I’m searching for a new series to watch but soon gave up after watching a couple episodes of Inventing Anna and season 5 of Outlander.

Teresa returned by 9:15 from El Tesoro. She said the mall was mobbed. Another reason not to go, especially on the weekend.

 

Funny pix of the day

Friday, May 13, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, and woke up at 6:30 got up at 7:15. The one time I got up was 5:30 in the morning when Teresa started snoring. Usually I just change my position or plump by pillow and she stops. This time I had to poke her, which she didn’t appreciate. Later, I had her clear off the guest bed so I could move there if it happens in the future so at least one of us could sleep through the night.

I can now see my purchase in my Charles Schwab account. Even though it’s late it’s nice that it shows the actual purchase date. I also see when I login to my account I can set it to go to my transaction history right away.

So, what’s next?

USAA charges a 1% foreign transaction fee for every withdrawal or purchase, Citibank charges 3% but Charles Schwab (CS) has no charge (actually there is a charge but I understand it’s reimbursed at the end of the month).

Currently, USAA serves as my checking account. I have my SS automatically deposited there and I use it for my day-to-day expenses during the month. My pensions are automatically deposited into my Citibank account and that serves as my savings account. (Unfortunately, a lot of my savings has been depleted after paying for my surgeries out-of-pocket.)

My new plan is to have CS serve as my checking account and USAA serve as my savings account and I’ll wean myself off Citibank completely. That means I’ll have to contact SS and have my deposits directed to CS and contact my pension companies and have those deposits directed to USAA. All future transactions should be with my CS debit card.

In the meantime, I’ll move my current USAA balance to CS and my Citibank balance to USAA.

 

I was never given the address to MT’s gated community so in the past whenever we’ve ordered a Didi I’ve requested to go to Metro Sur mall (where Wilson’s bar is) and we’ve just directed the driver the last block to MT’s apt. So, Wednesday when Teresa asked me to order a Didi for her the best I could do was have it pick her up at Metro Sur. She never made it there in time so Didi charged me 1,500 for failure to cancel the ride. They wanted me to add a credit card so they could withdraw the fee and blocked my use of the app until I do. (I wouldn’t mind paying the next driver the fee but I don’t want to give them my debit card information.) I chatted with a Didi rep this morning for 15 minutes in my broken Spanish and she eventually forgave my fee.

I left the apt at 9:30 and took a Didi to the mall. I picked up a Gente newspaper at Exito’s customer service desk. Baloto wasn’t open so I took the elevator up to the 2^nd floor (1^st time) where I found myself at the metro aisle halfway between Santa Leña and the metro exit. I walked to the other side of the floor where I paid the cellphone bills. Back on the other side I had coffee in Santa Leña for an hour. Back downstairs the Baloto system was still down so I just returned to the apt by taxi.

Teresa boiled water for some tea for me but then gave me the container of salt instead of sugar so we had to start over.

Teresa was invited to an event in the Cedimed store in El Tesoro tomorrow. It starts at 2pm and will last a couple hours. Add on a couple hours after that to return to the apt, just one reason I’m not going.

I started watching season 2 of the Jack Ryan series but halfway through the first episode I realized I’d already seen it.

Teresa suggested we go for pizza. Okay. Then it changed to empanadas then to patacones. I understand Esmeralda is coming to pick us up.

Esmeralda, with her mother, picked us up at 7:30 and took us to the spot across from Antica Pizza. I asked if Alejandro is studying or playing and Esmeralda said he’s working. Something about being the secretary for a professor.  Some of us had patacones with ground beef, others torta con queso, one of us both, and some had a Coke. The total came to 79mil ($20) and we were back at our apt by 9pm.

I ran out of my Joint Support tablets. I can’t believe I didn’t notice my supply was going down. Teresa told me Esmeralda has Fibromyalgia and I wonder if the Joint Support tablets would give her some relief.

 

 

Funny pix of the day