Friday, August 22, 2025

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up at 12:30 and took half a Diphenhydramine tablet, finally falling asleep and waking/getting up at 7:30.

Teresa returned from her gym class at 8am and made breakfast.

It’s raining so I’ll be skipping gym today. Later I did a few exercises with my 7# dumbbell.

I left the apt at 9:30 and walked down to Avenda Las Vegas. A bus passed me as I arrived and I missed another because I wasn’t paying attention. I caught the next one and it was the usual 3,400 pesos (less than $1) and got off at Clinica Las Vegas. Inside I went up the 4^th floor to Doctora Cristina Maria Uribe Betancur, Consultorio 422 and I confirmed her office phone number 305 459 9489

The receptionist spoke a little English and I got an appointment for 11:30 and was told the fee would be 240,000 pesos ($60). I walked 3 blocks south to Mina Rica Café where I had a latte until 11am. After a trip to their restroom, I returned to the doctor’s office.

The doctor’s English wasn’t very good but she told me what I have is

She assured me it isn’t contagious and she gave me a long prescription of things to use to kill the little buggers in our bedding and on ourselves.

She not only said it was okay to take Diphenhydramine but she recommended it for Teresa also.

Lastly, I had her look at a couple skin tags that developed under my left armpit. She snipped them off with a small pair of scissors 😊 and I didn’t even need any topical anesthetic. The charge, even with the minor surgery, was still 240,000 pesos. 😊

Outside and across the street I soon caught a bus back to Envigado. (Strangely, I gave the driver 2 2,000-peso notes, he gave me a 2,000 bill back and some change so somehow the fare must have been less than the usual 3,400 or he messed up.)

As I entered the porteria the portero handed me my package.

It contained 2 pill containers (Teresa chose the blue one leaving me with the green one), the first chess book I had as a kid A.I. Horowitz’s How to Win in the Chess Openings, my 4 bottles of Joint Support and my new Capital One debit card which I activated right away.

I left the apt at 2:30, walked to the mall, recycled a few plastic containers, made an ATM withdrawal with my new Capital One debit card, and paid the 448,002-peso epm utility bill. At Exito’s pharmacy I bought a few items on the doctor’s list for 112,350 pesos. I was surprised to see they have Caladryl, even the new clear version.

In Home Center I purchased a pair (?) of vice grips for 71,900 pesos ($18).

I had a latte in Urbania and checked out my new chess book. It was the first chess book I remember every having: it was published in 1951 and it’s in the old descriptive notation. 😊

I left about 4pm and stopped in Exito and bought a bag of milk, a bag of microwave popcorn for tonight’s game, and a large carton of eggs.

I returned to the apt by taxi.

I ate my popcorn (supposedly extra butter but didn’t taste like it) and drank my Coke and watched the Bears lose to the Kansas City Chiefs 27-22.

More rain in the evening and it was still raining when I went to bed at 10:30.

Correction the next morning: So, I was watching the game, 1:36 left and KC was up by 5 got a first down so I figured they could run out the clock. I turned the game off at the (im)perfect time.  it turned out the 1st down pass was incomplete and Tyson Bagent played perfectly to bring the Bears back for the win 29-27. I just watched the end on NFL Game Pass.

 

FUNNY