Monday, October 30, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10:45, dealt with some itching for a few hours, finally fell asleep, got up at 6:30 but went back to bed, waking/getting up at 7:30.

I completed my workout in Smartfit from 9am to 10am without incident. (The chest press exercise machines were being repaired so I had to skip them for today. I got up to 3 ½ minutes on the treadmill with a 10% incline.)

I left the apt at 2:30 and took a Didi to the mall. I recycled the metal cylinder that contained my medical spray. Upstairs I paid for the apt and my health insurance for the month. Back downstairs I had a latte in Urbania while reviewing chess notes of an opening I expect Jose to play tomorrow. I also started listening to another podcast on my cellphone.

I left at 4:30, took a taxi to Ara where I bought 10 tomatoes before returning to the apt.

I agreed to a draw with Troyclough dropping my rating 1 point to 1554.

I finished season 2 of Succession.

It was about 8pm when I noticed it was raining. It was still raining when we went to bed at 9:30.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up at 11pm to put medicine on a few itchy spots I had missed hour earlier, waking/getting up at 6:15.

I think today is election day in Colombia.

I’ve played Magnus Carlsen on Play Magnus app and have 4 wins and 2 draws playing him at ages 5, 6, 7, 7 ½, 8, and 9. He was a grandmaster at 13 so he’s got to start winning soon.

We left the apt at 8am and it wasn’t long before I realized I forgot my sunglasses. It was a little longer I realized I forgot to bring the book I wanted to exchange at Sweet Georgia. I was amazed to see all the cars parked along Ave Las Vegas for those that wanted to vote today.

We had no problem finding a table at Hija Mia. I had their French toast and Teresa had some egg dish (lots of protein, she said) and we each had 2 lattes for a total of 110,000 pesos ($27).

I ordered another Didi and our driver Ann picked us up and dropped us off at El Tesoro mall. We arrived a few minutes before 10 and only then realized they don’t open until 11am on Sundays.

I saw this “Rueda de Chicago” (Ferris wheel) down one wing of the mall.

Per Wikipedia, The term Ferris wheel comes from the maker of one of the first examples constructed for Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition by George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. in 1893.

Teresa used a couple of cards (credit) to buy something in Zara. She found something in Prochampions and something else in Medipiel. For lunch we shared a bowl of beet soup, a sandwich and had lattes in Valentina’s Bakery for 69,500 pesos ($17).

A few children were in Halloween costumes.

I found Ben Johnson’s Perpetual Chess podcasts on Spotify which helped keep me sane while Teresa was shopping.

We left at 2:30 and returned to the apt by taxi. Teresa soon left to visit her mother with gifts for her sisters that she picked up in Greece.

I watched another episode of Succession.

I ordered The Amateur’s Mind: Turning Chess Misconceptions into Chess Mastery from Amazon for $17.20 + $12.07 (shipping & handling) = $29.27 (free with my gift card) direct to Colombia expected arrival November 21^st.

Teresa returned at 5:30.

I took my Chiclayo leftovers out of the fridge to warm up. I ate some peanuts waiting for the Bears game to start then Teresa came home with a salad which I wasn’t interested in. I ate my Chiclayo chicken before the game.

I watched the Bears lose again, this time to the L.A. Chargers 30-13.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Saturday, October 28, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, minimal itching, waking/getting up at 6:15. Wow, I think I slept through the night! 😊

I left the apt at 8:40, got my haircut from Daniel and picked up my medications from Todo Drogas for 531,900 pesos ($128), 450mil of which was for my rash. (I didn’t recognize any of the workers, maybe they changed management?) I was walking down the street when a woman behind me stepped on the end of my heel. It wasn’t a big deal but I thought she was going to hug me in her attempt to apologize. 😊 Three blocks away I stopped at a relojeria I’ve visited before to buy a battery for my step counter. There was a makeshift sign on the door, something about the guy went to pick up his daughter from school. Next time, I guess. Three more blocks to a tienda where I bought 10 more closet hangers for 7,000 pesos.

When I arrived at Parque de La Fecundidad there was some construction going on:

AA Parque de La Fecundidad

If your Spanish is good enough you might be able to zoom in and translate what it is they’re building. (A woman in the foreground was feeding corn to the pigeons.)

I continued on to Parva (noticeable leaking) where I made a trip to the restroom. I ordered my café con leche and took a seat at one of the 2 4-tops by the window. A few minutes later I needed to make another trip to the restroom. The flush wasn’t very strong and nothing went down. I tried a couple more times using their cheap plunger but no luck. I finally took their toilet brush and forced it down with another flush. That all took a few minutes. As I was walking out of the restroom a waitress was removing my things from my table’s bench. I asked what happened and she apologized. I understood another woman wanted that table but she quickly took another.

Teresa left me a voice mail asking me to pick up 2 ripe plantains. I left at 11:30 and bought 2 in Ara on my way back to the apt.

I left again at 2pm and had a latte in Eduardo Madrid while starting my study of Part 6 – Endgames for Class “A” (1800-1999). So far, so good. I heard some commotion and looked outside and it appeared there was some type of accident. A young man wearing what looks like a t-shirt for the garbage men was lying down. It took a few minutes but they helped him into an ambulance; it looked like he had a problem with his shoulder.

Teresa called and asked me to pick up a slice of carrot cake. About 4pm I returned to the apt with the carrot cake. It started sprinkling as I approached our complex. As usual she took a few bites of the cake and left the rest for me.

About 5:30 Teresa suggested we order delivery from Chiclayo. I did, we ate half our food, and saved the rest for another day. I had carrot cake for dessert.

I downloaded Spotify so hopefully I can listen to Ben Johnson’s Perpetual Chess podcasts.

I watched another episode of Succession.

According to my bank my payment to Barnes & Noble for Matthew Walker PhD’s Why We Sleep went through but the book didn’t download to my Nook. I corrected the address in B&N for my debit card so we’ll see if that works.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Friday, October 27, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, minimal itching, got up twice during the night, waking/getting up at 6:30.

I completed my workout in Smartfit. With the increase in weight, I’m taking a little more time to recover after each exercise.

Barnes & Noble emailed me that they have issued a credit to my checking account.

I left the apt at 1:30 and here you can see the construction going on next door.

Ara is on the left and the warehouse is on the right.

At the mall I recycled a few plastic items and printed a few doctor’s appointments for Teresa. Upstairs in Linea Estetica I bought AOX Therapy for Teresa and Bioderma Atoderm SOS spray for me. In Dollar City I bought a bag of 24 candy bars for trick-or-treaters.

I had a latte in Urbania for about 90 minutes.

Teresa left me a voice mail to pick up a pair of kitchen gloves for her in Exito which I did in addition to a 4kg pumpkin. I returned to the apt by taxi.

I asked Teresa about the 2 movie options and she didn’t even want to see the Taylor Swift trailer. I’d like to see it just out of curiosity (I’ve never heard any of her songs) even if I end up walking out. Killers of the Flower Moon she isn’t interested in because it’s 3 hours and 26 minutes long, so I guess I’ll have a couple movies to go to this next week.

I texted Jeannie and asked when the wedding photos will be available. She replied, "the photographers/videographers said it would be 6-8 weeks and this is the 7th week". So...soon.

Our last working fan came apart yesterday. We’d better get a replacement before the hot weather returns again.

I finished reading Garry Kasparov’s How Life Imitates Chess.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Thursday, October 26, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, had an awful time with itching, got up once at 1:15, waking/getting up at 6:30.

To answer one of my blog readers, Robalo is bass.

I left the apt just before 8am and walked down the hill and immediately caught an Envigado bus stuck in traffic. On the way I noticed a cool looking café, Panaderia Amaranto (Calle 17C #44-177, piso 2) which I see opens at 8am. (Another time, as today I have to pick up a few things at Exito in Viva Envigado.)

I checked out the cafés inside clinica Las Vegas but nothing special and not a place to really hang out. Upstairs I had a 15-minute wait to see Dr. Uribe. She agreed my rash is much worse than before. Now she says it’s an allergy. “To what?”, I asked. Pollution, the weather, the water, could be anything. Sounds strange to me it would come up so suddenly.

She gave me a few samples of a liquid she wants me to use as soap in the shower. I’m to continue the pills I take in the morning and evening for another month. She recommended a body cream I should put on twice a day. My next appointment is November 24^th at 8:30am. The receptionist said there was no charge for today’s consultation 😊 but there will for the next one.

I went downstairs to Botica Junin to get my prescription filled. A girl ran across the street to get one of my medications. The total came to 240,400 pesos ($57).

Across the street I quickly caught an Envigado bus to Viva Envigado. The stores weren’t open yet so I had a latte in Urbania. I won another game against Troyclough increasing my rating to 1555. I left about 11:15, bought a few things in Exito and returned to the apt by taxi.

A few minutes later I realized I forgot to buy more of that desensitizing cream for my “scabbies”. Even later I realized I forgot to buy a bag of treats for Halloween and another AOX Therapy that Teresa needs. I guess I’ll be returning soon.

Opening today in Cine Colombia:

·     Killers of the Flower Moon (8.2)

·     Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (8.4)

I left the apt again at 2pm and had a large latte in Los Portenos while rereading Part 5 of my chess book - Endgames for Class “B” (1600-1799). This time I did better on the test but still not perfect.

I left at 4:45 and bought 2 bags of milk on the way back to the apt.

There’s a warehouse next to Ara where there has been a lot of construction going on the past few weeks. Today I noticed the decoration they are doing to the warehouse’s façade matches Ara’s. I agree with Teresa it appears Ara is expanding into the warehouse.

At 5:30 a downpour started.

I had purchased the eBook I’ll be Gone in the Dark on Barnes & Noble but all they sent me was a sample. I’m trading emails with them to get the whole book or a store credit.

I finished a couple more episodes of Succession.

Teresa wants me to take her for breakfast Sunday to Hija Mia so I notified Glenn I probably won’t be meeting him for breakfast.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10, got up once at 5am, waking/getting up at 6:30.

The past few days we’ve heard the sound of a lot of lumber dropping. It’s not from Ara but from the warehouse on the other side of it.

At the gym today I added 5# to the following machines: Leg Extension (no pain), Triceps Press, Leg Curl (no pain), Seated Row, Abdominal Crunch (slight discomfort in my surgical area), Lat Pulldown, and Shoulder Press. While I completed 3 ½ minutes on the elevated treadmill, I noticed on TV a chyron advertising the Chicago Bears next Sunday at7pm on ESPN 2.

In the garage I ran into Teresa on the way to her gym class.

I left the apt at 2pm and noticed Brit with his son having lunch at Asados Rogelio. I stopped in Eduardo Madrid but didn’t see any bagels in the basket. A girl asked if I wanted bagels (at least I think that’s what she said) and I said, “si”. She disappeared for a couple minutes then came out with a bag of 6 probably baked today sesame seed bagels for 16,800 pesos.

I took the first table inside Los Porteños next to 2 tables with half a dozen ladies sitting around it. Another couple came in so I moved to a further table but they never really took over the table I had been sitting at. A few minutes later the owner/baker came in, greeted them, presented each with a bag with “All In Chef” imprinted on them then took the ladies across the street. I think they were there for a baking class because an hour later they brought over their creation, what looked like an involved double layer cake.

I left at 4:30 and noticed there is now a t-shirt store on this side street. (I give them 6 months.)

I finished season 1 of Succession.

Teresa is now on 10mg Atorvastatina but she has trouble remembering to take it so I’ll reminder her every night when I take mine.

Tonight I ran out of the anti-itching spray, Bioderma Atoderm SOS Spray.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10, got up once at 3:10 (it had stopped raining), waking/getting up at 7am.

It was still raining lightly; I guess we’re officially in the rainy season.

I left the apt at 9:45 and took a Didi to Unicentro mall. On the way Jose notified me he was already there and that Parmessano is open for breakfast at 8am. I spent about 2 hours telling him about our vacation and then a little more time catching him up on my chess adventures. He’s been staying pretty close to home of late but if feeling well enough to get out more. We’re going to meet here next Tuesday for breakfast and then go to the food court to play chess. When he’s feeling more confident, we will move back to Viva Envigado.

It was 1pm and Teresa was supposed to call me soon to meet at Arkadia mall for lunch. I hadn’t heard from her but I took a slow taxi to the mall and had another latte in Santa Leña expecting Teresa to call soon. About an hour later I needed to go to the restroom so I paid for my latte and made said trip. I went upstairs to their food court and took a table and started doing the test at the back of Part 5 of my chess book. I didn’t do very well so I’m going to review that section again. Teresa finally contacted me at 3:30 and I met her at Crepes & Waffles where we had a LATE lunch. We went across the street to Pricesmart mainly for eggs but since we were there I looked for Knotts Berry Farms Strawberry Preserves but didn’t find them. While Teresa was in line with our cart, I stopped at the information desk and asked and a girl went and got them for me. 😊 (Now besides the 2 12-oz jars I bought recently I now have 2 32-oz jars.) Downstairs, we had a 10-minute wait for a taxi and traffic was fairly heavy returning to the apt. We were back almost exactly at 6pm.

Teresa just informed me that as of January she won’t have to take the chemotherapy pill any longer as she will be 5-years cancer free. 😊 Hopefully, she won’t feel so tired in the afternoons any longer.

I watched another episode of the TV series Succession. (I checked my blog notes to see where I gave up on this series the first time but I just wrote that I got tired of it but didn’t note which season which episode.)

Well, no rain today but it was quite cool.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Monday, October 23, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10, got up once at 3:30, waking/getting up at 7am.

Well, at least last night I didn’t have any excessive itching so that’s a plus.

At 8:30 I was ready to leave for the gym when I got a message from Dr. Milton’s office. After some back and forth using my translator, I find their next available appointment is in December. That won’t work. Then I get a message from Jose inviting me for coffee tomorrow at 10am in Todo Fresa in Unicentro. 😊 That works!

I completed my usual workout in Smartfit noting which machines I want to up the weight a bit on Wednesday.

I left the apt at 2:30 in a few raindrops and stopped at the Bancolombia kiosk to print Teresa’s test results. While waiting I realized I forgot to bring my chess book. ☹ It started pouring so when I left I put up my umbrella and continued on to Los Porteños. I had a latte while going through my cellphone until about 5pm. I bought 2 bags of milk on the way back to our apt.

I think I had an inferior position against Troyclough and just wanted to come away with a draw but he made a mistake and resigned on his 29^th move increasing my rating to 1549.

We had some strong thunder followed by rain, occasionally heavy. (I’ve experienced some very strong thunder and lightning since moving here, not sure if it’s because we live in a valley or because our windows are usually open.) It was still raining when I went to bed at 10am. It’s been a while since I’ve done this but I put a blanket over the sheet on my bed.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Sunday, October 22, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10, got up twice during the night, waking/getting up at 6am.

Teresa is going to take her mother to mass in a pueblo named Marinilla. She asked me where to catch a bus in Medellin. I had her write down the name of the pueblo, I translated “where in Medellin can I catch a bus to Marinilla” to Spanish and copied it into my chrome browser (because I don’t have it set to automatically translate to English). What came up was how to catch buses in Marinilla, 3 ways to get to Marinialla, etc, etc. It was all in Spanish so I had Teresa sit down to go through it. It looked like they need to catch a bus from Terminal Norte.

Just after 8am I walked to Olivenza in Sao Paulo and arrived 5 minutes before they opened. Glenn with Bianca arrived by 9am. He told me he intends to buy a cheap iPhone to use as a backup in case he loses, or someone steals, his regular iPhone. For breakfast I had the calentao, scrambled eggs and bread with butter – don’t forget the lattes. I stopped at Cafam pharmacy and bought a box of 10 10mg Atorvastatina for 32,750 pesos ($7.75) for Teresa. (Next Saturday I’ll be including it with the medications I’ll be buying for November.)

I walked back to the apt and Teresa had already left.

Comfortable in my recliner with peanuts and Coke I watched the Chicago Bears and UDFA QB Tyson Bagent beat the Las Vegas Raiders 30-12. That was fun!

I was watching episode 5 of Succession when Teresa called and asked me to meet them for patacones. I said I didn’t think the lady is open on Sundays but if not we can have pizza across the street. I changed clothes and took a Didi to Antica Pizza where I easily found 3 free seats inside. Teresa and MT joined me a few minutes later. We each had a slice of pizza with water for 48mil. We walked down the street to the bakery where I bought 2 pastries for the porteros and we quickly returned to the apt by taxi.

This is when I found out Teresa bought herself Atorvastatina also.

Out of the blue Teresa informs me we should go to Jardin de Botanico sometime. Why? They have food, space to walk, chess. What? It took a few more questions to figure out they never went to Marinilla today, they went to Jardin de Botanico. I understand MT thought Marinilla was too far.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10, got up once during the night, waking/getting up at 6am.

Teresa has an 8am doctor’s appointment and then she’s going to get her eyelashes done, so I just had a bowl of cereal. I put on my camouflage pants and a t-shirt, left the apt at 8am and walked to Badia in Mayorista where I bought 12 boxes of Chamomile tea for 130,860 pesos ($31) and also got one of their nice little bags to carry it all. (I wanted the bag because there are many times I know I’m going to buy a few things and this bag doesn’t take up a lot of space in my tech bag.) I had a latte at a nearby café for 6,800 pesos. On my way back to the apt I stopped at $efecty and paid the Tigo/Une bill.

I exchanged some things, changed into my shorts and sleeveless t-shirt (big mistake) and headed out again. I had a café con leche in Parva while finishing Part 5 – Endgames for Class “B” (1600-1799). So far, so good. The next part should be interesting.

I was a little cold in my shorts and sleeveless t-shirt. Brrr! Now I see the high today is only supposed to be 73 degrees.

Teresa stopped by after getting her eyelashes done. The doctor says she’s supposed to take 10mg of Atorvastatina (at least temporarily) for her high cholesterol. She’s going to meet a friend in Santafe mall for lunch but I have leftover ribs and fries for lunch.

I’m interested in seeing some of the NCAA’s top QBs so I started with Bo Nix and the Oregon Ducks at 2:30.

At 5:30 I switched to North Carolina’s Drake Maye.

Teresa returned at 5:30 and informed me she wanted to go for patacones later. I asked her if she could wait an hour so maybe I would have an appetite. Thirty minutes later she declared she was too tired and we’ll go another time.

Troyclough resigned our game in 26 moves to raise my rating to 1543.

At 6:30 I switched to Michigan with their QB J.J. McCarthy.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Friday, October 20, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10, got up once during the night, waking/getting up at 6am.

We had a little rain already this morning.

I completed my workout in Smartfit. I saw Matt come in as I was nearing completion. As I was leaving Patrick called me over. He said something about he’s a photographer and his parents have a website with photos of Baby Boomers. (Technically, I was born 2 months before the usual definition of 1946-1964.) I gave him my cellphone number and he said he would send me the link.

Teresa was leaving for her gym class as I was returning to the apt.

Lunch was a little later than usual.

An unusually cool day today.

At noon a lady came and gave Teresa the Vitamin D injection in her stomach.

I was working on my laptop when all of a sudden everything froze; no buttons worked at all. Only closing the cover allowed me to do a restart.

Normally I would be going out for coffee but I’m going to try to get caught up on my blog postings.

All caught up!

My rash hasn’t gone away so I texted Dr. Milton Mejia Montoya asking if he can see me in the next few days. I got a reply that he’s out of the office.

The husky across the street is howling a lot, not sure if it’s because he’s been left alone or he hears another dog howling far away.

For supper I ordered ribs and fries from Mu for 110 mil ($26). It took less than 5 minutes to get the order in so that’s a great improvement. Wow, the order arrived 40 minutes after I started the order – a new world record! I tipped the delivery guy 10mil.

I ran out of Badia tea today so I guess I’ll be making a trip there tomorrow.

I finished reading How Not to be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking by Jordan Ellenburg. I went to read the next book but it’s only a 42-page sample. I chatted with Barnes & Noble and learned I added my new debit cart but didn’t set it as the default. Once I got that fixed, they said I would be contacted in 3-5 days for the new book download.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

AND I AM ALL CAUGHT UP! WHEW!

Thursday, October 19, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 9:45, woke up about midnight from the itching, got up at 1am, fiddled around on the laptop for an hour, returned to bed, quickly fell asleep, waking/getting up at 6am.

We left the apt at 7am and arrived at Imagenes de Vida y Salud (Carrera 50 #64-67 in Prado) by 7:30. They allowed Teresa in but I had to take a seat in their front courtyard. At 8:53 she texted me it’s going very slowly and I should find a place for coffee. I walked a block away and found a small café where I had a café con leche and a churro for 5mil. About 10am I returned and she came out at 10:45. She was hungry so we took a Didi to Eduardo Madrid where we each had a chicken sandwich with lattes and shared a chicken pastry.

We returned to the apt.

With my brother on standby I downloaded the Paypal app and was able to sign-in without any problem.

Me taking a photo of Teresa right after she snuck a photo of me.

At 12:30 I packed my laptop and walked to Parva where I spent the next 3 hours posting text and photos to my blog.

I left at 4pm, bought a small strawberry cake at Pepo’s, bought 2 bags of milk at the little store and returned to the apt.

I beat a 7 ½ year-old Magnus Carlsen on the Play Magnus app.

The Tigo/Une bill email arrived – 70,968 pesos ($16.75).

Teresa informed me that now Alejandro isn’t coming over until 7pm.

I downloaded, installed and logged into my Paypal account without any problem.

For Cine Colombia new movies starting today, there is The Equalizer 3 (6.9) starring Denzel Washington.

Alejandro came over about 7:30, we had a piece of the strawberry cake and he got to work. He set up Whatsapp on Teresa’s cellphone, added the other (few) apps she uses and set her old phone to the factory setting for MT.

He left at 8:45 and I understand he will set up MT’s phone on Saturday.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 9:45, got up once during the night, woke up at 5:30 and got up at 6am.

Teresa is supposed to receive her injection today but doesn’t know when the guy will come.

I left at 8am and completed my usual workout in Smartfit. A lot more people than usual, maybe the 8-9am time period is more popular than the 9-10am period. Today I noticed a lot of guys had beards. 😊 As I was leaving, I heard someone speaking English. His name is Patrick, he’s from Dallas, Texas and he’s been here 14 years. He said his parents even moved here. I was back at the apt by 9am. Still leaking coming, going, and while there. ☹

Teresa left at 9:15 for her gym class hoping the injection guy doesn’t come while she’s gone.

I called Charles Schwab and the first rep confirmed I have a $0.14 balance. She transferred me to another rep to handle the transfer. I requested they send it to Capital One but they “no longer have that on file”. The same with my other banks. Apparently, they are no longer available after I closed my account. The remaining options are they can send me a check or we can just write it off. Since it is only $0.14, I said to just write it off. No need to bother myself and others with receiving, signing, and depositing 14 cents in one of my banks in the US.

Teresa returned just after 10am and said the injection guy hasn’t come yet. I guess she talked to the porteros.

I called Social Security and had the usual hour wait to speak to someone. When I finally did, bottom line is because Colombia recognizes I am married I don’t qualify for “surviving divorced spouse benefits”. Even if I did qualify, it sounds like I would only be eligible if Annette’s SS was more than mine. I’m betting her SS wasn’t that big but her pension was.

At 12:15 Teresa went down to the porteria and picked up her injection. She said it’s worth more than 2 million pesos. Now she just has to get someone to give it to her.

After 2pm we had another amazingly strong thunderstorm come through.

I’ve decided I’m going to see The Creator (7.1) at Vizcaya at 5pm today. I’m afraid if I don’t go today it’ll be gone tomorrow. Teresa may go with me depending on how she’s feeling.

Teresa has an 8am appointment tomorrow in Prado and I have to go with her as her supporter (designated driver?).

At 4pm I took a Didi to Vizcaya where I bought a preferred ticket for 5,000 pesos ($1.20) – half price Wednesdays. I’m 5 visits away from qualifying for my 2024 platinum card. I waited until 10 minutes before showtime then bought a Subway sandwich to sneak in. I bought a large Coke and small popcorn and arrived at my seat a couple minutes after the trailers started.

The movie was only okay with about 2 dozen people in attendance; I had a hard time telling one side from the other let alone the good guys from the bad guys.

I soon had a Didi to take me back to the apt.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

 

Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 9:30, got up once during the night, woke up at 5:30 and got up at 6am.

I left the apt at 8:30 and walked to the mall. I recycled a few items, printed Teresa’s latest test results in Auros, and made an ATM withdrawal. I had a latte in Urbania while studying more of my endgame chess book.

I left about 11am, bought 3 bottles of Smuckers Strawberry Preserves and a 3-bar pack of Dove soap and returned to the apt by taxi.

We had strong thunderstorms come through between 1:20 – 3pm.

I drew a game vs Troyclough lowering my rating to 1553.

Teresa talked to her mom who is sad because her cellphone doesn’t work. I think we’re going to buy her a new one tomorrow, a simple one just for Whatsapp and calls.

Teresa suggested she give her cellphone to her mother, I give my cellphone to her and I buy the latest, greatest new Samsung cellphone. I brought to her attention that that means everyone has to learn a new (different) cellphone.

We left the apt at 4:15 and took a Didi to the mall. We met MT at the information desk by the entrance then went to the cellphone sales area in Exito where we found a Samsung A04 cellphone for 538,545 pesos ($127). That one was the cheapest they had and it was on discount.

Even though it was the least expensive one Teresa thought it was too expensive. After she talked to the salesman, I understood she was going to keep the new one for herself and give hers to her mother. He took the sim card out of MT’s old phone and put it in Teresa’s new phone. Teresa asked if I could set up Whatsapp on the new phone and I assured her I could.

These are all cellphone salespersons, the 3 in the foreground representing Motorola.

We went across the street to Wilson’s bar. I went to download Whatsapp and it first asked to set up an account with Google. I entered my Hotmail email address and my usual password. Then it had lots of information in Spanish so I passed it to Teresa. She asked me to move her sim card back to her mother’s old phone and I was successful in removing it from her phone but MT’s old phone has an unusual “slot” in the back and I wasn’t paying attention when the salesman took it out she had me return it to her new cellphone. (I was starting to get confused as to what sim card is where.) Teresa texted Alejandro and asked if he could come help. (I understood he had a class in Envigado tonight between 6:30 and 7:30.) Teresa suggested I have coffee back in VE (Viva Envigado) after I make a copy of her test result. I did and had a latte in Urbania.

I blundered in the opening and lost another game to Troyclough lowering my rating to 1545.

At 7:45 Teresa texted me that her sister Adriana is sick and she’s going to visit her so the cellphone setup will be delayed for tonight. She suggested I get something to eat and we’ll meet back at the apt. I wasn’t particularly hungry so I returned to the apt by taxi and had half a bagel with strawberry preserves.

Teresa returned at 8:45 and reported that Adriana has been in the hospital since yesterday with a possible heart attack.

Teresa asked about her backup battery and I confirmed it won’t work (she’s moved from USBA à USBC) on her new phone.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Monday, October 16, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 4:15, woke up at 6:30 and got up at 6:45. Yes, I’m still doing my Kegel exercises, I’m just not going to report it every time.

Today is a holiday, Dia de la Raza (aka Columbus Day)

For breakfast, I can’t believe I’m out of strawberry preserves; I thought I had 2 bottles in my closet. Wow, I guess I went through those fast. At least I know Exito has a lot in stock even though they’re small bottles.

I left the apt at 8:30 and was surprised to see a woman in the parking lot on a Segway. At the gym I completed my usual workout, but managed to get my treadmill time up to 3 minutes. There were a lot fewer people than usual, maybe by half.

Teresa wanted to go to the restaurant Amazonas in Mayorista and I figured I could buy more tea at Badia while we’re there. I had her call both places and there was no answer so obviously they’re closed for the holiday. New plan is…

We left the apt at 11:30 and took a Didi to a traditional Colombian restaurant, Viejo John in Sabaneta.

I had their solomito (sirloin steak) and it was tender and cooked perfectly. Teresa had robalo aka bass with sides of broccoli and avocado and ordered another fish to go (supper) for a total of 107,200 pesos ($25.25).

Troyclough resigned our game increasing my rating to 1554.

Teresa led me to a simple corner café (she had recently been there with a gf) where I had a café con leche and she had 2 tintos for a total of 5mil. At least my coffee was in a ceramic cup unlike her tintos which came in a cardboard cup.

We returned to the apt by Didi.

Teresa’s a little bummed out because her latest blood test shows she has high cholesterol. Although she won’t hesitate to eat chicharron, on occasion, I tried to explain it isn’t always because of your diet.

Tomas from Alepan texted me he now accepts Visa and Master Card. 😊

I’m just about caught up on my posts for our vacation. 😊 A few more days should do it.

I watched a little of the Chargers vs Cowboys game.

I was so tired I went to bed at 9:30.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Sunday, October 15, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 9:30, got up once at 1:15, again at 4am, woke up at 6am and got up at 6:15.

I walked to Olivenza in Sao Paulo where I had breakfast 

with Glenn. (On the way, I noticed a pharmacy next to Papa Johns and another in the mall.) Glenn is planning on paying out of pocket (known as Particular in Colombia) for his dental work but wants his health insurance to cover the rest.

I left at 11am and bought 3 bottles of Quanox in the Cafam pharmacy in the mall for 68,250 pesos ($16).

I watched the Bears lose to the Minnesota Vikings 19-13. Justin Fields got injured in the 3^rd quarter and backup Tyson Bagent, a UDFA (undrafted free agent), took over and did fairly well for a rookie.

I watched 60 minutes after waiting for a football game to end and, as expected, it was mainly about the attack on Israel.

Teresa got excited about something then I saw a large Katydid about 7’ up on the corner of our wall.

AA KATYDID

At least it would be a katydid if we were in the US, here who knows. Anyway, Teresa knocked it down with a broom and killed it.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 1am, woke up at 6am and got up at 6:30.

Today is National Chess Day in the US.

At 8:45 I packed my laptop in my backpack and walked to Parva where I worked on posting vacation photos to my blog. Teresa got her eyebrows done and joined me about 10:30. She left and she wants me to have lunch at and order her a lunch to go.

I finally figured out how to turn off the View Motion Photos. I found them to be irritating.

I have these drops called Quanox that I’m supposed to take 70 drops of for 8 days. Today I got 20 drops out and the little plastic bottle was empty. ☹

I left Parva at 12:45 and had a chicken breast lunch at Rogelio Madrid. I ordered one to go for Teresa for a total of 50mil. At 1pm we had 10 minutes of rain; so much for noticing any significant difference with the solar eclipse.

I wanted to watch some NCAA football but IPTV wasn’t working.

I finished first episode 2 of Succession (8.9).

Teresa and I went to bed at 9:30.

 

BRILLIANT COMEBACKS

Friday, October 13, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 5am, did my Kegel exercises, must have fallen asleep because next thing I know it’s 6:30. As Teresa was leaving, she said if she doesn’t get back in time to make me breakfast, we’ll meet at Los Porteños at 8am.

I asked Teresa if Colombians consider Friday the 13^th to be unlucky and she said, “yes”.

I’ve tried multiple times to send a video to my laptop and each time it just disappears into cyberspace.

I see we’re having an annular solar eclipse here tomorrow from 11:12am – 3:35pm.

I left the apt at 7:45 and had a latte in Los Porteños while waiting for Teresa who arrived about 8:15. She had a latte with her croissant ham sandwich and I had a croissant with scrambled eggs and another latte for a total of 72,220 pesos ($17).

We returned to the apt, I changed into my gym clothes and walked to Smartfit. Fewer people than usual, probably because this is a holiday weekend. I completed my usual workout although this week I was able to increase my treadmill duration from 2 minutes to 2 ½ minutes.

Teresa was still at the apt when I returned. She is going to get her nails done then go to Clinica Medellin to pick up her breast test results. I will probably meet her there for lunch.

Teresa left at 11am as I was getting into the shower. New plan: if her friend wants to meet with her then after they’ll go to Santafe mall. If not then I’ll meet her at the clinic for lunch. Nails tomorrow.

I left the apt at 1:15 and took a Didi to Santafe mall. As I entered Teresa called and asked where I am. She said she was hungry and I joined her in J&C Delicias in less than a minute. I had their penne pasta and she the salmon and we both had juices for a total of 107,074 ($25).

She bought a couple things in Medipiel.

We wanted to go for coffee but she wasn’t interested in the nearby café, Todo Fresa. We went up to the 4^th floor but on the way she suggested Tostao but I nixed that idea because I don’t like drinking coffee out of a cardboard cup. We had lattes in Crepes & Waffles and shared a tiramisu that must have come out of the freezer for 28,250 pesos ($6.75).

We returned to the apt by taxi.

After this latest “war” between Israel and Hamas, I get questions from Teresa like: “Is the war over?” “Why didn’t the people who were killed hide in the basement?” ☹

Today I wore my underwear inside out because I put the pad on the wrong side. 😊

I’m trying to give the series Succession (8.9) another chance and I just finished the first episode.

 

Meanwhile in Canada

 

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up multiple times during the night, itching wouldn’t let me sleep so I got up at 1:30. I worked on the computer for 45 minutes then laid down on the recliner and slept until 4:15. I moved to the bed and woke/got up at 6:30.

At 8am I called a Didi to take me to Clinica Las Vegas on Ave Las Vegas. I had to put on my facemask to enter the building. I took an elevator up to the 4^th floor and easily found the doctor’s office. She arrived right at 8:30 and a couple minutes later I was invited in. She wore a mask the whole time which didn’t make it any easier to understand her English. She used a translator on her phone a couple times and told me I have scabies. I asked about how long between exposure and symptoms and she said 5-8 days. My best guess is the infection point was the 2-star hotel we stayed at 2 nights in Lavrio. She wrote me a prescription which included:

Fexojandra – take one in the morning for 20 days.

Clorjeniranira, 4mg – to enduce drowsiness take one at night for 20 days.

Fucicort – 2x a day for the lesions on my leg.

Quanox – take 70 drops a day for 8 days.

Atoderm SOS Spray – apply to lesions for itching as needed.

She said Teresa and Laura should take the Quanox drops also, 1 drop for each kg of their weight.

The office visit was 190mil and my next appointment is October 26^th at 8:30.

I stopped downstairs and bought all the medications except the Atoderm SOS Spray for 435,600 pesos ($103). Outside I caught a bus to Viva Envigado for 2,850 pesos. I made an ATM withdrawal, paid the Claro bills, printed my blood draw order for next month in Auros, and bought the Atoderm SOS Spray in Linea Estetica for 42,857 pesos ($10). I had a latte in Urbania for a bit.

Teresa texted me asking for lettuce and potatoes which I bought in Exito before returning to the apt by taxi.

I explained everything to Teresa but she’s not interested in taking the Quanox drops. ☹

I left again about 2pm and had a latte in Los Porteños. At 4pm we had a downpour for about 5 minutes.

Teresa texted me and asked me to pick up a loaf of pan de maiz at Parva which I did for 12mil.

In Na Pizza, workers are busy putting down a new tile floor.

I stopped at the new restaurant Bastardo to check out their menu. They have steaks, ribs, pizza, and lasagna so I shouldn’t starve there. They have salmon so Teresa should be okay.

I heard cheering twice which means Colombia scored 2 goals against Uruguay. Interestingly, I saw the goals first at Bastardo followed by a 5-second delayed cheering across the courtyard.

Back at the apt, I dug my driver’s license out of its hiding place and I now see the other one expired on my birthday and this new one expires in 2027 so I’m glad it made it here.

The final was Colombia 2, Uruguay 2.

Teresa went to bed early at 8:30.

 

Meanwhile in Canada

 

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once during the night, woke up at 6am, did my Kegel exercises, and got up.

Teresa left at 7am for eps and we’ll probably meet for breakfast at Los Porteños at 8am. That means I’ll probably have a late trip to the gym.

I left the apt at 7:30 and was drinking a latte when Teresa texted me at 7:45, “Terry tu pedirme un sanduche de pernil con tomate y pan integral y un late grande gracias”.

The waitress was standing right in front of me so I put in her order and mine.

I texted her, “hecho” (Done) and she replies, “Yo decirte cuando listo”. I texted her, “Acabo de hacer un pedido para ti” and she texts me, “Espera un poco”. I asked the waitress to hold the order in the kitchen. I had already finished my food when Teresa arrived 15 minutes later and they reheated her order. The total came to 74,406 pesos ($17.50).

She left to go to the gym and I returned to the apt and changed clothes for the gym.

At 8:27 Marcos texted me he’s in the bank. I told him I’m back at the apt. At 9:13 he texted me he’s done at the bank and I told him I would be waiting for him in our porteria.

 

He arrived just after 9:30 and we went up to my apt and he gave me the 3,500,000 pesos all in 100mil pesos. No problem, takes up less space.

His apt is in Sabaneta near the main park and his girlfriend’s sons and a cousin will be living there. When he dies the title should automatically pass down to her so he believes it’s no longer so important for them to get married. The previous owner of the apt flips apartments for a profit. He is planning on going into business with the owner and their RE lawyer. I suggested Teresa might be interested in being a financial partner if they are interested in changing their risk/profit from 33% to 25%.

I left the apt at 10am and completed my workout returning to the apt by 11am. Still leaking a little.

Teresa has been on the phone trying to make doctor’s appointments. My dermatology appointment is 8:30 tomorrow with Doctora Cristina Maria Uribe Betancur at Clinica Las Vegas, Fase 1, Piso 4, Consultorio 422, for 190mil.

Teresa is so busy on the phone I suggested I eat at Parva. She agreed and I confirmed plans to meet Bob Hamilton at Parva at 1pm.

I left at 12:20 with the idea of having a sandwich at Parva but we both thought they only have desserts. Teresa had the great idea of having a sandwich in Eduardo Madrid. I went there and had a Club Sandwich with a Coke for 17,430 pesos ($4).

I was at Parva by 1pm and Bob soon arrived. He was never in the first game but did better in the second but I still won easily. He’s heading back to Minneapolis tomorrow.

I had a latte in Los Porteños for a while. I bought 2 bags of milk before returning to the apt.

A notice in the elevator says we will be without sewer service tomorrow from 8am to 2pm. ☹

When I returned to the apt Teresa handed me the utility bill – 565,341 pesos ($134) – a new high.

I drew a match with Troyclough costing me 2 points, my rating is now 1557.

For supper I ordered fried chicken from Frisby.

Uh-oh, Colombia plays Uruguay tomorrow in a World Cup qualifying match. Let the craziness begin.

 

Meanwhile in Canada