Tuesday, October 1, 2024

Last night I went to bed at 10:15, got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up 8 minutes before my 6:30 alarm,

At 7:20 I started the process of ordering a ride, arriving by Didi just as the doors were opening. I went upstairs to Parmessano and took a seat and Jose arrived 5 minutes later. We both ordered French toast but they messed up our order (we noticed when others that arrived after us got their food before us) and it didn’t arrive for almost an hour.

About 9:15 we finally adjourned to the food court. I was happy I brought my jacket as it was a very cool morning.  I had the Black pieces in the first game and was winning the first half but he took the advantage and I blundered my queen on the 27^th move. ☹

In the second game again (according to the computer) I was better coming out of the opening but lost the advantage in the middle game. I ended up resigning on the 39^th move.

It was only 1:15 when we finished and I ordered a Didi to take me to Viva Envigado. I was walking down the hall when a young man said hello. His name is Shawn (Shaun?) and he claimed we met in the gym. He told me: he tried living in Portugal but found it too expensive and their laws for foreigners stricter than Colombia’s. He has an apt near City Plaza but goes to my Smartfit on Ave Poblado, usually early like 7am, because he likes an instructor named Santiago who he claims speaks English. He recommended a number of places for local music including Cabana de Recuerdas across from Antica Pizza. He said they have live music on Wednesdays around 9pm.

We said goodbye and I had a BBQ sandwich in Only Roastbeef. Their Coke has gotten much smaller than before – it’s only 235 ml. I stopped in Cine Colombia and their small soda is 600ml so maybe in the future I’ll get their sandwich to go.

I stopped in Linea Estetica and bought a new container of AOX Therapy for Teresa for 182,400 pesos ($44).

I went downstairs to Urbania where I had a latte while continuing my endgame book.

I had a close game going with ONEIPAMETATO1453 until he blundered his queen increasing my rating to 1577.

I left at 4:30 and returned to the apt by taxi.

I received an email with my federal ballot. 😊

We had rain in the evening.

I watched the vice-presidential debate from 8 to 10pm followed by CNN analysis from 10 to 10:30. C.D. Vance was obviously a more polished speaker than Tim Walz. Walz couldn’t explain why he said he was in Tiananmen Square during the Chinese protests. I laughed out loud when Vance said the Trump Administration supported the Affordable Care Act (Republicans called it O’Bama Care) when they did everything they could to repeal it. Even during the presidential debate, Trump said “we have concepts of a plan” to replace it. Vance also deflected when asked directly if Trump lost the 2020 election. Vance called the US “the greatest country” while Trump has been calling it a third-rate nation.

I read some of my Truman book, only 20 pages remaining, until 11pm. Still raining when I went to bed.

 

FUNNY