Thursday, October 30, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 12:30, finally waking at 5am and getting up at 5:30 with Teresa.

I met Marcos in Los Porteños at 9:30. He put in an offer on an apt in La Frontera but then decided it was too far up a steep hill and at the age of 74 he didn’t want to have to walk it multiple times each day so he backed out of the deal. As a thought experiment we talked about moving back to the US and just living in a room somewhere but decided we wouldn’t be able to afford health care.

He left at 10:15 and I stuck around and continued reading my new book on my Kindle. I bought a few strawberries (shrink wrapped in plastic) from a wandering salesman for 10,000 pesos. (When I returned to the apt Teresa said I was crazy to pay that price but I feel I’m supporting the local economy.)

For lunch we made broccoli cheddar soup again. It was delicious even though we made it with skim milk.

I took inventory and I have 58 Butterfinger candy bars to give out tomorrow. I must have bought 2 bags of 30 each and Teresa and I each had eaten one. I hope to get some nice photos of trick-or-treaters tomorrow.

Teresa didn’t want me leaving the apt so I binge watched more episodes of Designated Survivor on Netflix.

 

FUNNY

Wednesday, October 29, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 3:30, finally waking/getting up at 6:45 just as Teresa was leaving for the gym.

Teresa returned at 8:15 and made my breakfast.

I left the apt at 9:30 and found Smartfit busier than usual. After waiting my turn a couple times, I finished my workout in the usual order. Saw one 35ish woman who obviously has had breast and butt implants and liposuction.

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor and corrected Anthony’s pen by adding an apostrophe between the ‘y’ and the ‘s’. I left at 11am and returned to the apt.

Teresa left at 2:15 for her craft class.

I left at 3pm and walking past Barrio Sur Chris Cojeleas called out to me. He asked me when I’m going to Chicago to see my granddaughter. I explained I’ve already been there and back and I showed him a photo of Annie James. I told him I’ll talk to him soon so he could get back to his Liverpool soccer match.

I stopped in Pasteur and purchased a container of vitamin D capsules for Teresa. I asked about Creatine capsules but all they have is powder. (Later I found them on Amazon and added them to my shopping cart.)

I had a latte in Los Porteños while reading some more of my Kindle book.

I left at 5pm and walked to Eduardo Madrid bakery.

I’ve read that A identifier of health (one of many) is your hangtime (how long you can hold on to a chin-up bar). I know I don’t have a strong grip and I was curious but didn’t want to embarrass myself in the gym.

I walked across the street to one of those outdoor gyms and lasted 10 seconds on a chin-up bar. Not surprising.

Back across the street in the bakery I waited half an hour for Teresa to arrive. She was hungry so she had a quiche and a latte while my stomach was a little queasy so I just had a glass of water. I gave her the bottle of vitamin D capsules and she said they aren’t the right ones. (Later she checked and they are the same as she’s had, just a different brand.)

We left at 6:30 and I stopped in Ara and bought a bag of milk on the way back to the apt.

I watched another episode of Designated Survivor.

I finished reading Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake on my Kindle.

It was interesting but not my type of novel (although it is part one of a series and it ended on a cliff hanger). She has quite an imagination; it would have been interesting to see her high school English essays.

 

FUNNY

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 2:30, finally waking/getting up with Teresa at 6am.

The street is wet so we must have had a little rain.

A much more awake and aware Annie James

At 7:15 I started ordering a Didi for only 13,700 pesos (which should have been an indication it would be a quick trip) and I arrived at Unicentro 15 minutes early which gave me time to walk to the entrance closest to our restaurant.

Jose met me in Santa Leña and I ordered the one piece of French toast with 2 scrambled eggs (or so I thought) and a latte. It turned out 2 eggs were included with my entree and I had ordered 2 more. ☹ The latte was so hot 😊 it was at least 5 minutes before I could start drinking it.

We moved to the same food court location as last time because we found the closest restroom had been remodeled and the toilets even have seats.

I had the Black pieces in the first game and I had prepared a variation against his opening but of course he changed it on his 6^th move. On the 41^st move I queened a pawn and he resigned 2 moves later.

I had the White pieces in the 2^nd game and several times early in the game I verbally said, “I don’t like my position”. Still, I hung on and eventually got the advantage and he resigned on the 43^rd move.

I left at 1:30 and took a Didi to Viva Envigado for 26,200 pesos.

I had my usual granola with yogurt in Pergamino then went down to Urbania and had a latte.

I left at 3:30, bought a small package of napkins and large package of eggs in Exito and returned to the apt by taxi.

Teresa was getting a massage from Kelly.

I entered my games in ChessBase 16 and did a Tactical Analysis on each. (Amazing how many bad moves the computer finds for both of us.)

I’ve been hearing some good things about the supplement creatine

so I’m going to see if they have that here, especially in capsule form. Maybe I’ll substitute it for my citicoline or maybe I’ll take them together.

I watched and read same as other nights.

It just started drizzling lightly as I went to bed at 10pm.

 

FUNNY

Monday, October 27, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up with Teresa at 6:15.

It’s drizzling lightly and I certainly don’t want to go to the gym carrying an umbrella so we’ll see; I still have 30 minutes for my stomach to digest before I would be leaving.

Photos of AJ (and family) getting her 40-day blessing in Ascension of our Lord (Greek Orthodox church) in Lincolnshire, IL.

Teresa asked me to skip coffee this morning because she wants us to go to City Plaza to get a doctor’s appointment and we’ll have lunch there.

The rain had stopped the only risk now is a breeze that might knock raindrops off the leaves of the trees. I left the apt at 8am and walked to Smarfit where I found it a little less busy than usual. I completed my workout adding 5# to the Back Extension and 1-minute to the treadmill (now 12 minutes, 2% incline at 4mph).

I walked to Ganso y Castor for a latte (I’m sure I can stay for a little while – I don’t think we’ll be leaving for lunch at 10:30). Brit soon arrived and we discussed health and aging. He said guanabana leaves are good for gut health and he recommended Life Extension at lef.org. I left at 10am and returned to the apt.

Teresa informed me the metro is running again 😊 but she isn’t feeling well ☹ so we’ll go to City Plaza another day.

Google says, Guanabana leaves, derived from the soursop tree (Annona muricata), are known for their numerous health benefits, including anti-cancer properties, immune support, and anti-inflammatory effects.”

I got a 58-move draw by agreement vs Troyclough, lowering my rating 1 point to 1534.

Teresa seemed to feel better after lunch. Again, she didn’t want me to go for coffee so we napped for an hour instead.

Wow, chesswiz98 resigned our game after only 21 moves (because he thought he was going to lose a knight?) increasing my rating 8 points to 1542.

I finished season 2 of Designated Survivor, watched some news, the end of the first half of Monday Night Football, then switched to my pre sleep reading routing.

 

FUNNY

Sunday, October 26, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 3:30, took a little while to fall back asleep, finally waking/getting up with Teresa at 5:45.

It’s Bears game day!

I drew a game with chesswiz98, another game the computer says I was clearly winning ☹, dropping my rating to 1535.

I noticed I don’t have Juan Carlos Guerrero Sierra’s phone number in the contacts on my new cellphone so I sent him a message on Chess.com asking for it.

I left the apt at 8:15 and walked to Sao Paulo plaza. I checked out a few things I want in Carulla but they can wait another week. I took a seat at our favorite table in Ovienza and Glenn arrived 10 minutes later. We mostly discussed ChatGPT and he told me similar apps are Gemini and Perplexity. (Back in the apt I downloaded both of them.) He reiterated the fact that his epm bill is 700,000 pesos (ours is less than 500,000) and how he's tried everything to discover the problem. He left at 10:30 and it took me another 15 minutes to catch a waiter to pay my bill. On my way back to the apt I stopped at a corner grocery store and bought a bag of milk.

When I walked into the porteria the portero handed me two Amazon packages, more sets of bracelet clasps. I hope I’m not on some type of automatic order system. When Teresa returned from her class she was just as surprised as I was.

I finished the 3^rd bag of peanuts and started a 4^th while watching the Bears lose to the Baltimore Ravens 30-16. ☹ It’s hard to win in the NFL. Now they are 4-3 and travel to Cincinnati.

Without ChatGPT’s help, I think I finished the connection (using Phone Link) between my A36 5G cellphone and my laptop.

Strangely, the two photos I wanted the most (AJ dressed for Halloween as a soccer ball)

aren’t in my gallery (as viewed from my PC) and I had to send them the old way.

Juan Carlos Guerrero Sierra responded to my message on Chess.com and his phone number is 310 700 9813. I want to make it known here that when I pass (die) I want all my chess stuff (including but not limited to my chess table w/pieces and chairs) left to Juan. He knows about this but hopefully he’ll have a long wait.

After watching a 60 Minutes episode I purchased Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia, MD on Amazon for $11.99 for my Kindle.

A drizzle started about 7:45 but it had stopped by the time I went to bed at 10pm.

 

FUNNY

Saturday, October 25, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 2am, took a little while to fall back asleep, finally waking/getting up at 6:45 with Teresa.

Saturday’s breakfast is blueberry pancakes and I have just enough milk left over from yesterday for Teresa to make them.

I left the apt at 8:30 and walked to Viva Envigado where I recycled the old power cable, its cardboard box, plastic bottles, medicine, and batteries. I took a quick look at washing machines in Exito and they’re between 1,500,000 pesos and 3,500,000 pesos depending on make, model and size.

Walking across the street I ran into Wilson and I tried to explain to him I was heading to the hardware store. I stopped at the hardware store in Metrosur mall and they had a complete wrench set but I only needed a 7/16 socket. The owner sent me to Electrotornillos and even put the directions in my Google Maps. I walked up the hill (I was hoping to avoid this) and ended up on Calle 38 just past Carrera 37. They only had wrenches in millimeters but they sent me around the corner to Casa Ferreteria next to Todo Drogas but they only had mm also. I bought a desk calendar for 5mil from a corner newspaperman. I stopped at another hardware store, Carona Ferreteria, but no luck there either. I was wondering how much it was for the kit in Metrosur so I walked back down the hill to the first hardware store and it was only 39,900 pesos so I bought it. It has sockets in mm and inches so I should be able to find 7/16”.

Putting up Christmas lights near downtown Envigado.

I went across the street to Viva Envigado, made an ATM withdrawal and went down to Urbania and had a latte.

I left at 11:15 and returned to the apt by taxi.

Teresa had stubbed her toe and was soaking it in hot water. I told her she should put ice on it instead then googled to make sure I was right. I also told her even if she broke it all a doctor will do is tape it to the other toes until it heals.

I opened the wrench case and some of the sockets aren’t engraved with the size and while I did find for sure 3/8” and ½” I’m not sure which is 7/16” that the box says it contains. Anyway, Teresa told me she doesn’t want me starting the repair until next week so it’s going to be another week to even find out if I’m even on the right track. ☹

Well, I certainly got my steps in today.

After lunch Teresa didn’t want me to leave the apt so we both took a nap and I slept for about 30 minutes.

At Laura’s recommendation, we watched the first two episodes of The Monster of Florence (6.4) on Netflix.

I watched a couple more episodes of Designated Survivor.

Her toe is starting to look a little blue so obviously she banged it pretty good.

She told me it was the dumbbell, don’t know if she kicked it or dropped it on her toe, probably the former.

Well, at least we didn’t have any rain today, that’s a break for Medellin.

I was putting on my body cream before going to bed when I spotted a large cockroach between the glass shower doors. (Ah, it thinks I can’t see it there. It wasn’t Acapulco large but still large by Colombian standards.) I yelled out to Teresa, “cucaracha” and she came running with the can of Raid and sprayed the glass in front of it which didn’t faze it at all. I took the can and sprayed between the doors and it lit out fast eventually ending up under the sink on its back with its legs flailing in the air. 😊

 

FUNNY

 

Friday, October 24, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 1:34am, finally waking/getting up just before 6am.

One more week until Halloween and my two bags of Butterfinger candy bars are ready and waiting.

I left the apt at 8am for Smartfit and found it much quieter than usual. Maybe the recent flooding in Medellin is affecting the attendance. For example, maybe patrons stop by before going to work in Medellin but because the trip is so slow now maybe they don’t have time to stop before for a workout.

While having a latte in Ganso y Castor I met Juan and Kate from San Francisco with their two kids. In my opinion the boy was a little out of control playing ninja with two butter knives from the table. They are staying here until December then they will decide where to go next.

I left at 10:15, stopped at the Bancolombia kiosk to print a couple pages of chess notes, stopped in Ara and bought a few tomatoes and a bag of milk and returned to the apt.

At 11:45 a drizzle started ☹ but it only lasted 5 minutes. 😊 We took advantage of the cool weather to take a nap after lunch.

 

Another drizzle started at 1:30 and didn’t stop until about 4pm. Poor Medellin can’t catch a break. I certainly didn’t feel like going out in that weather.

I saw an article on my news post that helped me reposition the start button on the left side of my laptop task bar.

I spent an hour with ChatGPT trying to get my laptop disconnected from Teresa’s Samsung A52 cellphone and connected to my Samsung A36 5G cellphone. It kept taking me down different paths that didn’t work. In the end I think I was close to being finished but I gave up for today.

I watched a couple more episodes of Designated Survivor and read for about 90 minutes in my new book.

 

FUNNY

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 2am, again just before 6am as Teresa was about to leave for her gym class so I returned to bed, fell asleep quickly and got up at 7:30.

I forgot to mention: late yesterday afternoon, after it stopped raining, I went to Eduardo Madrid and picked up my 16 English muffins for 40mil plus a slice of carrot cake for another 12,600 pesos.

Back to today: At 9:30 I met Marcos at Los Porteños for lattes. He loaned me a regular tip screwdriver I’ll need to repair the washing machine. I told him about my old computer that Teresa wants to gift someone but if she doesn’t, he said he might be interested in buying it for one of Johana’s sons. He is returning to AZ on November 11^th and a friend invited him to a Cardinals game but it’s against the 5-2 49ers and he’s tired of seeing his team lose.

I left at 11am, stopped in Ara and bought some red apples and a couple of bananas.

Teresa informed me we have a package in the porteria. I went down and got it and it’s another order (I had forgotten about) of 12 magnetic bracelet clasps. I did the math and each clasp costs 22,000 pesos.

We had another rainstorm and it got cold and after that I didn’t feel like going out.

Kelly was supposed to come over to give Teresa a massage but I guess it was still raining in Medellin.

I understand Medellin has had some awful flooding the past few days. A hole developed on one of the metro lines causing closure for at least another week and I saw a video of the northbound expressway flooded with no cars on it.

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, destroyed the East Wing of the White House today (sounds like something Putin would like to do) while the Republican majority congress does nothing.

 

FUNNY

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up at 4am, couldn’t fall back asleep so I got up at 4:30 and started updating my blog. I returned to bed at 5:30, finally fell back asleep and got up at 7:15.

Finished my last bagel today but I have English muffins on order for pick up this afternoon.

I left the apt at 8:30 and found Smartfit quite a bit less busy (busier?) than usual, so much so I was able to start my routine in the usual order. I wonder if others knew what was about to happen. I was about halfway through my routine, just starting on the treadmill, when an alarm went off; they had a fire drill and everyone had to leave the building. I just kept going to Ganso y Castor for my latte. I had forgotten to bring my pen so I borrowed one from my waiter. His name is Anthony as he had a piece of masking tape on the pen with ANTHONYS clearly printed on it. I used it to record the dates in my book and returned the pen to him. I didn’t see any squirrels at all today but I did see this medium size bird that eats insects (I think):

I caught this screenshot of Jeannie on Facebook, looks like she’s getting back to work:

I heard Elvis’ Little Sister which if I recall was on the flip side of my 45rpm Good Luck Charm. I also heard Dinah Shore’s If You Believe in Me which google tells me came out the year I was born.

I left at 10:30 and returned to the apt.

Teresa returned at noon from her gym class. If she is correct the fire drills will be going on everywhere in Medellin today.

I’ve been organizing the photos on my laptop but I noticed in the Pictures Gallery it always sorts folders before individual photos, regardless of the name. I spent an hour with ChatGPT helping me change the registry only to find out at the end, “The system just doesn’t allow it anymore.” The result is: if I want to keep my photos in chronological order, I need to put the individual files in folders (even if a folder only contains one file) or move all the files that are in folders to individual files.

At 2pm, right when Teresa should be leaving for her crafts class, a thunderstorm came through. Instead, we took a nap and I slept for an hour. It’s still raining lightly but I have to go to Eduardo Madrid to pick up my muffin order.

ChatGPT did help me remove my old laptop from my Microsoft account and helped me add my new laptop.

I had already reset my old laptop to the factory settings but I wondered if it had erased the extra SSD that I had installed some years ago. ChatGPT didn’t think it did, so it walked me through the process of getting through the introductory steps to get to the desktop and I then reformatted the d: drive. I then reinstated it AGAIN to the factory settings and now the old laptop is ready to donate to someone.

I watched another episode of Designated Survivor, watch the Chris Hayes show on MSNBC, read some of my new Kindle book and went to bed at 10pm.

 

FUNNY

 

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once around midnight, again at 5am, couldn’t fall back asleep so I got up at 5:30 and started updating my blog. I returned to bed at 6am, couldn’t fall back asleep so I got up with my 6:30 alarm.

My Didi was priced at 25,900 pesos so I expected heavy traffic. It wasn’t until we got on the expressway outside of Envigado then it eased up. It was on the way I realized I forgot to shave today. 😊 I arrived a few minutes early which gave me time to move to a closer entrance. I met Jose in Santa Leña and I had their 1 piece of French toast with a couple scrambled eggs and a latte.

After a trip to the restroom Jose reported it was closed and the only one that would be open today is at the other end of the food court so we moved.

I had the Black pieces and thought I did a good job of preventing him from castling but he still won in 55 moves.

I had the White pieces in the second game and again did a good job of preventing him from castling and he finally blundered his rook on the 39^th move and resigned.

It was 1:45 when we finished and I ordered a Didi to take me to Viva Envigado. Traffic was heavy and on the way I realized I didn’t have my Apice cap with me. I don’t remember having it on while we were playing so I probably left it in the restaurant, even though I’m in the habit of turning around when I leave to see if I’ve left something behind. This ride was 21,000 pesos.

I went up to Pergamino and had my usual bowl of granola with yogurt and acai berries (it also has sliced bananas and strawberries). I went down to Urbania and had a latte. Teresa called and asked me to pick up some green apples for her from Exito; she also told me Kelly was coming over at 5:30 to give her a massage.

I left at 4pm and stopped in Home Center looking for a 7/16” socket wrench but all they had was (LOTS of) ½”. I guess I’ll have to go to a regular hardware store. I stopped in Exito and picked up hamburger buns, a bag of milk and 4 green apples. When I got outside, I was surprised that the street was wet and I had a little wait for a taxi to arrive (usually there’s a long line of taxis waiting). My driver wasn’t familiar with our complex but he was able to follow my directions.

As soon as I entered the apt I saw my hat on the recliner where I left it. 😊

Teresa told me Kelly wasn’t coming because of the rain.

I watched another episode of Designated Survivor.

I finished reading Philipp Meyer’s The Son then downloaded a new book to read on my Kindle.

 

FUNNY

Monday, October 20, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 9:45, fell asleep quickly, finally waking/getting up at 5:45.

The street was a little wet so we must have had some rain overnight.

I left the apt at 8:30 and found Smartfit less busy than usual. I completed my workout and told Daniel I’ll see him on Wednesday (for chess).

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor but never saw a squirrel. (I had put a peanut in the crook of the tree as usual and I also saw part of a papaya in the other small tree.) Sitting under the speaker I heard a funny song I haven’t heard in years, My Ding-a-Ling.

I left at 10:30 and stopped in Eduardo Madrid and ordered 16 English muffins for pickup Wednesday afternoon.

As I entered the porteria I was handed a small package which were the 9 sets of magnetic bracelet clasps I had ordered for Teresa on Amazon.

I happened to look at my iTunes account and the last purchases were exactly 5 years ago. I purchased Soldier Boy by the Shirelles and Take it Easy by the Eagles for $1.29 each.

This is The Weather Channel’s weather prediction for today:

We left the apt at noon and took a Didi to Oviedo mall. We had a nice lunch in Pizzeria Olivia, the usual salmon for Teresa and ground beef ravioli for me. 

We also shared a bottle of water and for dessert she had a slice of cheesecake and I had a scoop of pistachio ice cream. The total came to 149,139 pesos ($38.50).

I understood she wanted to go to the medical tower and I found an entrance on the 3^rd floor. Instead of asking a receptionist for directions to the elevator (I’m pretty sure was right around the corner) she led me further away and outside and down the block a little to another entrance (basically a circle or more literally a square) we had used before to the same elevator bank just one floor down. ☹

We went up to the 8^th floor and took a seat in the doctor’s waiting room. I paid 300mil for her appointment then moved to the outside common waiting room to avoid crowding in the office. Teresa came out an hour later and reported that everything was good and she didn’t need to be in a hurry to replace her implants. 😊 Well, that’s one expense we don’t have to worry about in the near term.

We stopped in a Cruz Verde pharmacy and bought a package of the old-style Gum flossers and a bottle of my gentle liquid bath soap that was on sale. The total came to 175,635 pesos ($46).

We went up to Todo Fresa and had lattes and just vegged out for a bit.

This is a photo of Annie James with dad (Jacob):

We left at 4pm and outside saw 2 Sabaneta buses pass, standing room only, then caught a taxi back to the apt. Our driver informed us that the metro wasn’t running which is why the buses were full. I’m glad we got out of that situation early.

Surprisingly, chesswiz98 resigned our game on the 18^th move increasing my rating to 1536. I think he thought his queen was trapped but he had a way out. Still, I had the better position with more material.

Several professional family photos including Annie James

We had rain in the evening but it had lessened by the time I went to bed.

 

FUNNY

Sunday, October 19, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 4:15 for a trip to the bathroom, couldn’t fall back asleep so I got up at 5am.

I started doing some work on my computer, getting caught up on my blog notes.

At 6am I went back to bed. It took a while to fall asleep but I was finally awakened by my alarm at 7:30.

I lost a game to chesswis98 lowering my rating to 1518 then I won a game against Troyclough raising my rating to 1527.

Teresa and I left the apt at 8:30 and walked to Otra Parte where she is going to try their yoga class. I continued on to Olivenza where I had breakfast with Glenn. He recently saw a new gastroenterologist who had him do the pre cleaning you have done before a proctoscopy and he feels better but he still can’t eat a lot. We shared a number of ways we’ve used ChatGPT lately and he mentioned using other apps like Gemini; I recall Alejandro mentioning it.

I left at 10:45 and walked back to the apt.

Teresa expressed she really enjoyed her yoga class. She left at 11:30 and took a Didi to visit her mother.

I watched the Chicago Bears defeat the New Orleans Saints 26-14. The Bears are now 4 wins and 2 losses on the year. Their next game is next Sunday at noon against the Baltimore Ravens. I finished the remainder of the bag of peanuts from last week that were almost stale then started the next bag which were much fresher. (In the future I need to break a large bag like I had into 5 or 6 bags or just buy individual bags to begin with.)

I took a look at the jammed washing machine and with the help of ChatGPT I managed to remove the top of the agitator but I lack the proper tools to continue so I guess I’ll be making a trip to Home Center on Tuesday.

Teresa called at 4:45 and asked where we could go for supper. She suggested Chiclayo but I checked and they close at 6pm on Sundays and I wasn’t even hungry. I checked and Rey Parrillero is open until 10pm. Teresa called back at 6pm and suggested we meet at Asados Rogelio. I got dressed and met Teresa with her mother there and we walked up Calle 30 Sur past a closed Chiclayo to the park (La Buena Mesa). Lucio next door was just closing so I guess I’ll have to wait another time to try their pepper steak (recommended to me by Chris Cajoleas). We took a table just inside Rey Parrillero.

I had their Medallones de Lomito and Teresa and I shared a bottle of water. Teresa had the chicken breast and MT the salmon (that Teresa later helped her finish) with an aromatica (tea). For dessert we shared a small apple tart with arequipe and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The total check came to 217,000 pesos ($56), not bad for the 3 of us.

MT paid me back 50,000 pesos for the cane I bought for her.

I ordered a Didi that we caught over by Antonio’s Gelato and we returned MT to her apt complex then returned to ours. Teresa gifted Julio, one of our porteros, with half a leftover sandwich she had.

I started my pre sleep reading routine before going to bed at 9:45.

 

FUNNY

Saturday, October 18, 2025

 After a breakfast of blueberry pancakes I returned to bed and slept for another 45 minutes or so.

We left the apt at 11am by Didi, Teresa got out at Clinica Medellin to pick up her x-rays then she’s going to walk to the metro and take it to San Antonio station so she can buy more bracelet supplies in El Hueco. I continued on to Vizcaya to Cine Colombia where I purchased a preferred seat to One Battle After Another (8.3) for 10,000 pesos ($2.50). Preferred seats in this older theater aren’t much different than the general seats, just two rows higher. I killed 20 minutes, made my last (ha!) trip to the restroom, claimed my free Platino popcorn, paid 12,500 pesos ($3.25) for a medium fountain soda and went to my seat. There were only about 5 others in the audience.

They showed 3 trailers, one of which looked interesting.

The movie was very good although sad and besides occasionally being loud the music was more in the foreground than usual. I did enjoy hearing them play one of my old favorites, Soldier Boy.

I walked down the hill, Google Maps predicted it was 20 minutes, to Philly Steaks where I had their smash burger and a Coke. I added the lettuce and tomato for another 4mil but asked for one beef patty instead of two. Even with their special sauce it was good. I saw the owner Carmen but he was too busy for us to talk. Right after I finished eating Teresa called and invited me to meet her in Oviedo to get something to eat. 😊 I told her I just finished eating a burger and we decided we’ll meet back at the apt. My check came to 46,000 pesos ($11.50) including tip.

I returned to the apt by Didi and Teresa, who took a bus, returned less than a minute later.

I heard there were about 2,600 cities and towns in the US that participated in No Kings Day.

I watched some news before starting my pre sleep routine.

The weather has been so cool this year, I bought this bedroom fan last year and the weather has only been warm enough 2-3 times to use it. ☹

 

FUNNY

 

Friday, October 17, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at midnight, again at 3am, finally waking/getting up at 6:30.

I left the apt at 8:45 and completed my workout in Smartfit. Daniel was there and told me we can play chess again next Wednesday.

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor but never saw a squirrel come to pick up the peanut, maybe because there were so many dogs around. I left at 10:45 and saw a squirrel in a small tree at the edge of the park. There was half a papaya in the tree and the squirrel was checking it out. I started taking out my cellphone to take a video but the woman from the corner store walked to me and told me the squirrel will eat the whole papaya. That scared the squirrel away so I just returned to the apt.

Teresa and I were having lunch when about 1:15 a downpour started which quickly lowered the temperature but it had all stopped by 2pm.

I left the apt at 3:15 and waited in a slow line to have a single chess note page printed. I had a latte in Los Portenos for 90 minutes before returning to the apt.

Teresa told me she talked to Johana and her test results for breast cancer were negative. 😊

With the help of ChatGPT, I set up a Powershell to have my Num Lock key default to OFF when I boot up my laptop.

My granddaughter at 1 month:

Teresa is going with Vicky tomorrow to Laura’s finca (something about “no meat”) and I’ll go next week. Sunday Teresa will spend the day with her mother because I have the noon Bears game.

I told Teresa I’m going to see One Battle After Another (8.3) at noon tomorrow in Vizcaya mall.

 

FUNNY

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 3:15, finally waking/getting up at 6:15.

Today Annie James is one month old and I’m expecting new photos soon.

I left the apt at 8:15 and walked to the mall. I made an ATM withdrawal then paid the epm bill in Exito. I printed a couple pages in Auros then went to Arcadia for a latte. I left just after 10am, paid the cellphone bills in Claro, and bought a container of Magnesium capsules (67,350 pesos) at a new tienda naturista on the 3^rd floor. I stopped in Exito and bought a large carton of eggs and large package of toilet paper before returning to the apt by taxi.

Now all October bills are paid except Movistar, and I have to wait for their bill.

Annie James at one month old. 😊

She’s looking more attentive.

We left the apt at 2:15 and took a Didi to El Tesoro mall. We were 20 minutes early and Teresa said she was hungry so she had a small sugar-free frozen yogurt without any fixings at Percimon. We arrived right on time to Dr. Rendon’s office. I pointed out my new hat and showed him photos of my granddaughter. He told me about his trip to Glenview that happened right after I left last month. His friend has a sailboat on Lake Michigan that they stayed on. He mentioned they once cruised down the Chicago River and had lunch at the restaurant, Porto Fino, that I remember seeing when we had lunch at Tiny Tapp on the Riverwalk. I ran into his wife, Catalina, and showed her the baby pictures of Annie James.

We both got a good teeth cleaning and I paid the 260,000 pesos ($65) for each of us.

We went into Valentina’s and Teresa had a slice of cheesecake with a granulada and I a slice of carrot cake and a latte. Teresa worked on a bracelet and we discussed when to try to had back home in their rush hour. We finally decided to give up our table, I paid 80,851 pesos and we went down a level so Teresa could check out H&M. I took a seat on one of the mall sofas and Teresa soon came out and reported nothing new in the store. I was in pants, t-shirt, and jacket and still felt cold. I told Teresa I feel like I’m sitting right under their air conditioning vent. We walked toward the taxi stand and that’s when we discovered it was raining outside, which probably explained why it was so cold. I took #24, they were serving #1, and we made a trip to the restroom and Teresa found something in Miniso that she said she hadn’t been able to find in their other locations. Back downstairs we waited about 20 minutes for our turn at a taxi. Traffic was very heavy as evidenced by the fact it cost 24,000 pesos when usually its under 20,000.

By the time I went to bed the rain had stopped but it was still quite cold out.

 

FUNNY

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, finally waking up at 5:30 and getting up at 6am.

Microsoft support of Windows 10 officially ended yesterday.

When I got up Teresa was on her way out to her gym class so I’ll wait until she returns for my breakfast which is usually 2 scrambled eggs, an English muffin or bagel with strawberry preserves plus 2 breakfast sausages (protein) on gym days. But today we’re out of muffins so I’ll be having blueberry pancakes and a couple sausages.

I left the apt at 8:30 and completed my workout in Smartfit. Today I saw a couple personal trainers but not as many as usual.

Outside Ganso y Castor I put a peanut in the tree but this time at an angle so it would be easier for me to spot. I then got involved talking to a water then an article about Justin Trudeau dating Katy Perry and the next thing I knew the peanut was gone. I did see the squirrel briefly when he returned to look for another one.

I left at 10:30 and stopped in Eduardo Madrid where I purchased the only bagels they had – 4 poppy seed for 12,000 pesos – before returning to the apt.

Happiness is a warm shower!

I helped (stirring) Teresa make broccoli cheddar soup for lunch. Yum!

I lost a game in the endgame to Troyclough lowering my rating to 1529. ☹

After lunch (1pm) I took a nap and at 1:30 a rainstorm and electrical storm came through. It stopped by 3pm and Teresa left for her craft class. I went to Los Portenos where I had a latte and went through some chess notes. I left at 5pm and moved to Eduardo Madrid where I found several sleeves of different bagels. ☹ I guess I should have waited this morning.

Teresa arrived at 5:40 and we stopped in Ara on the way back to the apt and bought a bag of milk and dish washing liquid.

I read that taking omega-3 works better with (just before) a meal and most likely in the evening so I’ll probably change the time of taking mine.

I finished an episode of Designated Survivor, watched some news, then switched to my book.

 

FUNNY

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets, went to bed at 10:45, fell asleep rather quickly, finally waking/getting up at 4:30.

Teresa’s 1^st package of bracelet clasps has shipped.

After breakfast I returned to bed and slept for another hour.

I left the apt at 8am and stopped in Eduardo Madrid but no bagels. In Pasteur pharmacy I bought 2 bottles of Vitamin E for Teresa for 134,195 pesos ($34.25).

I was surprised to see, from a distance, that Los Portenos wasn’t open. I put a peanut in the tree and had a latte in Ganso y Castor. A guy at the next table had a dog that looked a little like a bloodhound.

I asked him and he said it’s a Fino Hound, a Colombian hunting dog so you don’t see many of them in the city. I left at 10:15 and found this note on the door of Los Portenos.

I continued on to Eduardo Madrid but they still didn’t have any bagels but was told they will have some later.

I returned to the apt but Teresa was out at her gym class. She returned at noon and started making lunch.

Another cold day; only 72 degrees at 1pm with cloudy skies that look like rain.

After lunch I returned to bed and slept another 30 minutes.

We left the apt at 3:30 and took a Didi to Clinica Medellin. I paid 241,800 pesos ($62) for her procedure (mammogram & echogram) and after about a 20 minute wait she was taken in back. She returned about 30 minutes later and complained that they squeezed each breast 4 times but all appears to be good. Downstairs at another office she was given her x-ray results.

We went across the street to Boulevard café but we arrived 10 minutes before their 6pm closing so we went next door to Il Capuccino where Teresa had a chicken pastry and I a banana nut muffin and we each had a small café con leche.

I went next door to Linea Estetica and bought a bottle of my Cetaphil Urea 20% skin cream for 91,200 pesos.

We went to the taxi area but there wasn’t the usual man calling for taxis. Teresa finally caught one on the street who was waiting for his daughter to get off work but he said he could take us to Envigado if we didn’t mind waiting a few minutes. Fifteen minutes later his daughter came out and we returned in heavy traffic to Envigado for 20mil.

I finished an episode of Designated Survivor before switching to my book.

 

FUNNY