Sunday, December 28, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. I quickly fell asleep, got up once at 4am, heard fireworks at 4:30, finally waking/getting up at 6:45.

Teresa was just reminiscing about the breakfasts we had in Chicago: breakfast sausage, hash browns, endless cups of coffee with cream. 😊

We left the apt at 10:25 and took a Didi to Exposiciones station for 14,400 pesos. Teresa saw an El Retiro bus and asked me to claim a couple seats while she went in Tienda D1 (for what I didn’t know). At the head of the line was a van and I was about to get in when the driver said they had only one seat. I went instead into the first large bus and took a seat near the back on the street side. A few minutes later I saw Teresa walk past the bus I was on and head for the next bus. I called out to her but she didn’t hear me. (She never likes it when I shout her name.) I got off my bus and got on hers and it was more crowded but we found separate seats near the back. I think Teresa thought, or knew, that the bus I was on wasn’t going to El Retiro. In hindsight she might have been correct. By 10:45 our bus left and outside El Retiro the driver took a back way into town. I noticed a number of horse trailers with horses standing around.

We walked up to the park and made a left because Teresa wanted to show me a restaurant she found.

It turned out it didn’t open until noon so we took seats under a canopy to wait. I pointed out eight minutes after noon that it must be open but I think Teresa wasn’t interested because they had no customers. She led me to Lomo Fino where we had our choice of tables. I had their solomito (again had to send it back to be cooked a little more) and Teresa had the chicken breast and we shared a bottle of water. The total check came to 116,000 pesos ($31).

We walked down to Café El Retiro where again we had our choice of tables. (Seemed like we were always ahead of schedule.) We left about 3pm because there was some type of a parade going down the main street. It soon ended and we walked down another main street toward the bus station. They had some side streets closed off and Teresa and I saw this on the back of someone’s t-shirt.

Teresa talked to him and it learned the horse parade wouldn’t start until 4:30 or 5pm. I checked my watch it was 3:20 and Teresa made a good decision for us to get out of Dodge as there would be lines for buses if we waited.

As the bus drove out of town I took these photos of some of the horses waiting for the parade.

I decided why not make some video and here’s what we saw as we left El Retiro.

HORSE VIDEOS

THE VIDEO IS 4:08 MINUTES LONG (THERE MUST HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF HORSES WITH THEIR RIDERS) AND I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TRIM IT.

We got off at Exposiciones station and took the metro back to Envigado and a taxi back to our apt.

I gave up watching Turn: Washington’s Spies.

The Bears game finally started and it started with a bang, the first play of the game the Bears intercepted Brock Purdy for a touchdown. After that it was a shootout with the teams trading touchdowns. A broadcaster said this was the first regular season game where the score was tied at 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35. In the end the Bears got a field goal instead of a touchdown and lost 42-38.

They announced the last games of the season and I now know the Bears play their last game against the Detroit Lions at home at 4:25pm. I’m glad it’s not another 8:20 start; those are a drag.

I skipped my pre-sleep routine and just went to bed at midnight and quickly fell asleep.

 

According to my step counter I walked 2,650 steps today; pretty typical for a Sunday.

 

FUNNY

Saturday, December 27, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10:15. I quickly fell asleep, slept through the night, finally waking at 5:45 and getting up at 6am.

Teresa finally got up after 7am and made breakfast.

Yesterday I forgot to mention we were in Dollar City looking for (pega) glue for Teresa’s bracelets. We were standing at a vertical display of pastes and glues when I looked down and saw a 10,000-peso bill folded in half lying on the floor. I picked it up and it paid for two containers of super glue with a 2,000-peso refund. 😊

I left the apt just before 9am and walked to Mayorista. On the way I kind of tripped on the stairs (possibly because I was tired from the walk or I was going too fast. Luckily it was the up stairs so no damage done.)

After a trip to the mall restroom, I went inside Badia and bought 12 boxes (120 bags) of chamomile tea for 130,800 pesos ($35). That should be enough for all of 2026.

I found a new café on the corner outside the mall but their coffee machine wasn’t working. ☹ I went to the stand alone one next to Badia and ordered a latte. I sat there for about 30 minutes going through my phone.

I called Teresa and reminded her Mercado Madrid is on the way back to the apt and what does she need. I walked to the grocery store and found her coco rallado, Alpina crema de leche and a bag of leche entera. I paid for it and returned to the apt. The walk to Mayorista and back was about 4,000 steps. 😊

Against Chesswiz98 I made the mistake of attacking his pieces with pawns in front of my king and he got a good attack but on his 29^th move he blundered and I got a mate in one increasing my rating to 1528.

I left the apt about 2pm and stopped in Eduardo Madrid but they didn’t have any bagels or muffins so I ordered 16 muffins to be picked up Monday afternoon.

I continued on to Los Porteños where I was having a latte when Jerry McNamara stopped by. (Later I checked my blog and the last time our paths crossed was May 31, 2024.) He told me about their trip to Spain and his open-heart surgery (here for something like $37 through his insurance) and I told him about our trips last year, my granddaughter and that I recently turned 80. We confirmed each other’s Whatsapp phone numbers before he left and pledged we would meet sooner next time.

I left about 5pm and returned to the apt.

On Netflix, I gave up on Boots, tried but gave up on Dark, and finally settled on Turn: Washington’s Spies.

 

According to my step counter I walked 5,986 steps today; pretty, pretty good.

 

FUNNY

Friday, December 26, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. I quickly fell asleep, slept through the night, finally waking at 5:15 and getting up at 6am.

Still haven’t gotten to a grocery store for strawberry preserves so breakfast today was an omelet and 2 breakfast sausages.

Emailing photos from my cellphone to my laptop doesn’t seem to be working. I’m thinking I’ve filled the Gallery on my laptop/cellphone and I’m going to have to clean it up first. ☹

Teresa didn’t get up until 7am.

After breakfast I had a 40-minute nap then headed out for Smartfit. It wasn’t very busy and I was able to complete my workout in my usual order. Today I completed 17 minutes on the treadmill with a high pulse rate of 125 bpm. (Later I discussed it with ChatGPT and I’ll probably go up to 18 minutes on Monday.)

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor for an hour before returning to the apt.

Teresa wants to go out for lunch. At the moment the plan is to leave here about 1:30, pick up her mother and continue on to El Tesoro where we can have lunch and they can do some window shopping.

Teresa called MT but she was too tired to go out. I ordered a Didi to take us to El Tesoro but several drivers accepted then later cancelled the trip. We left at 2pm and took a Didi to Santafe mall. We had lunch in Olivia’s, seafood soup for Teresa, beef lasagna for me and we shared a bottle of water (sin gas). The total check came to 119,857 pesos ($31.88).

Teresa walked around Zara looking for a bargain but didn’t find anything.

We went down to Valentina’s where I had a latte and she had a granalada (or something like that) and we shared a slice of yogurt cake.

Around 5 pm I went down to Jumbo looking for a jar of strawberry preserves. I didn’t find them but I got a jar of Welsh’s grape jam which will suffice. I also asked for coco rejado for Teresa but two different employees couldn’t find it. I think it’s for baking some traditional Colombian dish but Teresa should have bought it earlier instead of waiting until the last minutes. I did find the stick of Alpina butter she asked for and luckily there wasn’t a long line to check out.

Back upstairs I paid 52,000 pesos to Valentina’s and suggested we get going before the butter melts.

At 6pm I ordered a Didi to take us back to Envigado for 16,900 pesos. Traffic must have been awful on the regular route because our driver went down to the expressway then up to Ave Poblado to reach our complex.

I found the missing photos in my yahoo.com email account and managed to email most of them to Hotmail.com. Look at my Christmas posting and you’ll now see the video of Annie James watching our Christmas gift.

I watched another episode of Boots before switching to The Chris Hayes Show then starting my reading.

According to my step counter I walked 6,366 steps today, of course it was a treadmill day.

 

FUNNY

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. I quickly fell asleep but was awakened at 3:45 by fireworks. They lasted 30 minutes, there was a 5-minute pause, then another 30 minutes of fireworks, another pause, then more fireworks and I finally fell back asleep, finally waking/getting up at 8am.

Merry Christmas everyone!

I ran out of strawberry preserves so breakfast today was pancakes.

The streets are deserted; Teresa said it reminds her of when we experienced the covid lockdown.

Teresa considered going to El Tesoro mall today because we don’t have confidence any other stores or restaurants will be open. (In the end we just hung out in the apt.)

I won a 19-move game vs chesswiz98 (trapped his queen), increasing my rating to 1522.

I started watching season 2 of Mr. Mercedes but it soon went off the rails so I gave up. I started watching season 1 of Boots.

Here’s a video of Annie James watching the Christmas present we got her:

At 6pm the fireworks started and didn’t end until about 9:30.

No step count for today.

 

FUNNY

 

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10:15. I slept through the night, but was awakened at 5am by a semi backing up outside Tienda D1. I tried getting back to sleep until finally giving up at 6am.

Teresa made breakfast then went to a 7am mass.

I left the apt at 8am and found Smartfit less busy than usual. I completed my workout in my normal order. Unfortunately, the pulse meter wasn’t working on my treadmill. To be more specific, in the future I need to change a setting from inclination to pulse as I wasn’t able to do it while in motion. My bad! I also forgot to put on my step counter before leaving the apt so I don’t have that either.

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor for an hour and I caught this shot of the squirrel eating the peanut just up the tree from where I had put it.

(Look just to the right of the streetlight.) I left just after 10am and returned to the apt.

Teresa has some things to do to prepare for tonight’s dinner so we’ll be having lunch out. (If I didn’t mention it before, we’ll be having dinner together in our apt.)

Wow, chesswiz98 resigned our game on the 22^nd move, increasing my rating to 1516. (Earlier he lost a knight so that probably entered into the decision.)

Teresa left at 11:30 to do some shopping in Viva Envigado. She’ll probably call me later to meet for lunch.

Teresa called at 1:15 and asked me if I want to have lunch in Asados Rogelio or meet her at La Bahia. I asked where she is now and she replied, “La Bahia”. I asked if she wanted to meet me in Asados Rogelio and she said she’s hungry now. (I know that means when I arrive she’ll already be eating.) I told her I’ll have lunch in Asados Rogelio and see her later.

I had a nice lunch in Asados Rogelio and the waitress assisted me in learning the name of a new (for me) juice called guandolo. 

Lunch was 29,000 pesos and I tipped the waitress 5,000 pesos.

I walked a block to Los Porteños where I had a latte. They no longer have large lattes; only small but the price is the same, 9,900 pesos.

About 3:30 it started getting a little cooler and windy so I returned to the apt.

Teresa called at 4:15 to see where I was and to report she’s on her way back to the apt.

When she arrived at 5:15 she said she was very tired and could we have our special dinner tomorrow instead of tonight. No problem.

I informed her my next Bears game is late Sunday so we would have time to go to El Retiro if she wants.

I asked if abuela received the apple pie and she said she did and she loved it. She wants to visit the US again for memories like that. Sorry, not going to happen.

I finished watching season 1 of Mr. Mercedes.

 

Remember, no step count for today.

 

FUNNY

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10:15. I got up once at 6am, and when I figured out it was almost time for my 6:30 alarm I decided to start my day.

I checkmated mekael965 in 71 moves, increasing my rating to 1510. I was up a queen and a knight but instead of resigning he fought to the end.

At 7:15 I started the process of ordering a Didi. I soon had a ride and it was only 4 minutes away. I arrived at Unicentro mall 20 minutes early for 18,100 pesos. I didn’t see Jose at the entrance so I walked around the little park for about 5 minutes. That quickly got boring so I crossed the street and walked around the mall which killed 10 more minutes. I only had another few minutes to wait before they opened the mall. I went up to Parmessano and Jose arrived 15 minutes later after he made a trip to the ATM. We ordered breakfast and I updated him on the latest Bears game.

We adjourned to the food court and he had the White pieces in the first game and soon got an advantage. I held out as long as I could but ended up losing on time on the 46^th move. (I was in a lost position anyway.) I had the White pieces in the second game and I got strong pressure on his king and ended up mating him on the 51^st move. (He said he didn’t see it coming. 😊)

It was 2pm when we said our goodbyes.

Teresa wanted me to pick up coco rejado but they were out of stock in Exito. Lucky me because the checkout lines were long.

I checked Didi and they wanted 38,000 pesos for a ride to Viva Envigado so traffic must have been horrible. I ended up getting a ride for 9,600 pesos to the Italian American Grill.

I had a cheeseburger and fries and a Coke for 47,000 pesos. I walked a block away to the Suramericana metro station where I took the metro to Ayura station and a taxi back to the apt.

I watched a couple more episodes of Mr. Mercedes on Netflix then watched the first 45 minutes of The Chris Hayes Show before starting my pre-sleep reading routine.

According to my step counter I walked 4,513 steps today, not bad for a Tuesday.

 

FUNNY

Monday, December 22, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 9pm. I got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up at 6:30.

Teresa got up at 7:30 and made breakfast. I returned to bed for a 45-minute nap, finally leaving for the gym at 9am. I arrived at a Smartfit a little busier than usual. I saw Stacey again and confirmed his name and he’s from Canada. There was a man at a machine next to mine with a Chicago t-shirt. I pointed to it and said, “soy de Chicago” and he replied in English, “you’re from Chicago?”. 😊 Today I added 5# to the Abdominal Crunch, Lat Pulldown, and Back Extension machines. I increased the treadmill to 17 minutes and recorded a high pulse rate of 126bpm.

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor for about an hour before returning to the apt.

I left the apt at 2;30 and had a latte in Gardenia while going through some chess notes.

I played poorly and lost a game to certain_letter, dropping my rating to 1506.

I left at 5:30 and returned to the apt.

I watched the first two episodes of Mr. Mercedez (7.7) on Netflix; the pilot episode got me hooked.

I watched the first 45 minutes of The Rachel Maddow Show on MS NOW then read a little from my new book, Lisa Jackson’s If She Only Knew on my Kindle.

Teresa happened to mention that MT is going to Caldas so we won’t be having Christmas dinner at her house after all. I confessed to her that I ordered an apple pie to be sent to abuela’s apt on that day. I was preparing a text to cancel or switch the order to our house when Teresa mentioned that Wilson will be home. I asked Teresa to be sure he saves a piece of pie for his mom.

I went to bed at 10:15.

 

According to my step counter I walked 4,581 steps today. I’m hoping that someday that will be my minimum every day.

 

FUNNY

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 11:30pm. At midnight, just before I fell asleep, I heard fireworks. Must be Medellin celebrating the Bears victory. 😊 I got up once at 5am then slept until 7:30.

Teresa’s doctor called and cancelled this morning’s appointment. I think it has been changed to tomorrow but I didn’t hear a time so maybe it will be later in the week.

I figured we’d be heading to El Retiro today but Teresa suggested we have a nice lunch in Provenza so she can spend more time working on her bracelets.

I cut up half of the remaining stollen and put it in one of the individual plastic muffin containers to take with us for coffee later.

We left the apt at 1:45 and took a Didi to El Correo in Provenza. Teresa had their Peruvian chicken and I their ribs with a baked potato and we shared a bottle of water. The check came to 182,681 pesos ($47.15).

We left at 3:30 and took a Didi to Santafe mall. I had a latte in Valentina’s and Teresa had a granizado and we each had a piece of the stollen. I lost a game to chesswiz98, lowering my rating to 1514.

Teresa checked out Zara then as we exited Santafe mall the ground was wet so obviously there had been some rain while we were inside. We walked across Ave Poblado and caught a bus back to Envigado.

I watched the Steelers (barely) defeat the Lions on Chicago CBS. With that loss, the Bears are guaranteed a playoff spot. Then I watched the first 20 minutes or so of 60 Minutes, the rest wasn’t of much interest.

I gave up on the Absentia series and watched Train Dreams on Netflix instead.

I finished reading Lee Child’s Blue Moon (Jack Reacher #24). I started my next book then I realized my Kindle’s battery was down to 12% so I plugged it in to recharge. It was only 9pm but I decided to go to bed as I had nothing to read.

 

According to my step counter I walked 2,529 steps today.

 

FUNNY

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm (it was still raining hard). I quickly fell asleep, got up at 3am but couldn’t fall back asleep so I got up at 3:30. I returned to bed at 4:45 and slept until 7:15.

I left the apt at 8:15 and walked to the mall. I recycled a plastic bottle and the remainder of the fiber optic cable Movistar used to install our new internet. I don’t know why Teresa was saving it.

I made a 2,000,000-peso withdrawal from a Davivienda ATM then went down to Urbania just before their 9am opening.

I had a latte while checking my Pirc book for a variation that often is played against me.

On Chess.com, I got a strong attack against Troyclough and he resigned in 21 moves, increasing my rating to 1523.

I’ve partially figured out how Urbania numbers their tables; I paid for table #9 and took the back way through the garage to Exito. I picked up milk, eggs and a container of dishwashing paste before returning to the apt by taxi.

I ordered some necklace clasps on Amazon for $24.15 to be delivered direct to Colombia, estimated delivery January 5^th to 12^th.

I finished the series Downton Abbey (8.7). Incredibly, I got goosebumps three times watching the last episode. What was that about?

I was unsuccessful taking a nap after lunch.

I left the apt at 3pm and walked to Los Porteños where I had a latte for a couple hours while studying The Pirc defense.

I left at 5pm and stopped at a busy Antonio’s Gelato. I was inside waiting my turn when a waitress had a refrigerated display case problem. The top shelf was slanted toward the front with one glass bottle of water leaning against the door. She tried, unsuccessfully, to catch it as she opened the door. In hindsight, she should have put her hands lower so she would have more time to catch it. Needless to say, it smashed on the bottom of the case and she had to clean it up. I think they intended to put cakes on that top shelf but someone had mistakenly put bottles of water.

After picking up my half liter of pistachio gelato I walked a block to Eduardo Madrid Panaderia where I bought a stollen for 68,000 pesos.

Back at the apt Teresa tried my slice of stollen and liked it so much she then had one for herself. We put the gelato in the freezer for another time.

I started a new Netflix series called Absentia (7.1) and finished the first two episodes waiting for the Bears 8:20 start time.

I opened my 2^nd bag of peanuts and ate half with a Coke watching the Bears vs Packers. With 2 full bags remaining, the Bears had better make the playoffs! Teresa went to bed at 9:30.

The Bears were losing 16-6 with 5:03 left in the 4^th quarter as they received the kickoff. They drove down the field and kicked a field goal at the 2-minute warning. They opted for an onside kick, the ball went the requisite 10 yards, a Packer muffed it and the Bears recovered. The Bears drove down the field and with 28 seconds on the clock and 4^th and 4 at the Packers 6-yard line Caleb Williams threw a touchdown pass in the corner of the endzone to Johdae Walker (who really hadn’t played much since his 2 preseason touchdowns). Everyone thought the coach, Ben Johnson, would go for the 2-point conversion but Santos kicked the extra point to tie the game 16-16. The Bears kicked off, stopped the Packers on a 4^th down and then from the Packers 46-yard line Caleb Williams threw a strike to DJ Moore in the endzone for the touchdown and a Bears win! The Bears are back in first place in the NFC North at 11-4 and the number 2 seed in the playoffs. Whew! What a game!

According to my step counter I walked 4,846 steps today. Pretty decent.

 

FUNNY

Friday, December 19, 2025

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

I guess this is why I heard so many fireworks the other night:

I understand Atletico Nacional beat Independent Medellin by a goal.

After breakfast I tried taking a nap but couldn’t fall asleep. I left at 9am and found Smartfit not as busy as usual. As I was getting on the leg extension machine a gringo I haven’t seen in a while said, “hi”. (Later when I checked my blog I think his name is Stacey from Canada.) I completed my workout including 16 minutes on the treadmill. (Based on my results, ChatGPT wants me to go for 17 minutes next Monday.)

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor for an hour, finally leaving at 11am.

I balanced my USAA checking account.

We left the apt at 1:15 and took a Didi to the Dann Carlton Hotel. We were directed up to the 2^nd floor (been there before) to their reservations center. Teresa inquired as to whether any of the restaurants have openings for New Years Eve. They didn’t (this late in the year I didn’t think they would) but as we were leaving she confessed there was in the basement but it wasn’t for us because I’m not into dancing.

We walked a couple blocks to the Boulevard restaurant where we had a nice lunch in their deli for 68,000 pesos.

For her Christmas present Teresa wants a facial procedure so we went next door to Cedimed and up to the 16^th floor so she could talk to her doctor. We had a little wait but in the end she had a 10am appointment for Sunday for 400,000 pesos (cash discounted) and the doctor bought the bracelet Teresa was wearing and ordered one for her daughter for 70mil each.

We were planning on going to Valentina’s café in Santafe mall but since it was already 3:15 I suggested we return to Envigado so we won’t have to deal later with waiting for a taxi and inching through traffic. Teresa relented and we took a taxi to Gardenia café.

A woman sitting at the next table noticed Teresa working on a bracelet and after a conversation Teresa reported she works at the Castle Museum and she suggested Teresa sell her bracelets next year at one of their fairs.

I read a Facebook post that Philly Steaks has a Lasagna Night (homemade) with garlic bread. One person commented they thought it was on Wednesdays but I guess I’ll have to pursue this further.

We were having drinks when a strong wind kicked up and it got noticeably cooler. We left at 4:45 and returned to the apt just before the rain started.

I watched another episode of Downton Abbey, just one more to go.

More rain in the evening.

According to my step counter I walked 5,035 steps today.

 

FUNNY

Thursday, December 18, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10:30. I quickly fell asleep, slept through the night, finally waking at 6am and getting up at 7:15.

Whoever invented the leaf blower should be hung! It seems like it’s a never-ending noise here.

I asked Teresa what kind of fair she wanted to go to but she couldn’t tell me. I googled it but couldn’t find any event in Plaza Mayor since December 1^st. I asked how she found out about it and she talked to someone then showed me a screenshot. I checked that address against Plaza Mayor and they weren’t the same. I used google maps to check the location and I didn’t see any event building. That’s when I noticed the location was in Bogota. ☹

Plan B: Teresa decided to get her hair and nails done so I’ll probably be on my own for lunch.

I left at 9am and walked to the mall and took a table (#16, I found out later) in Urbania. I ordered a latte and their banana muffin which turned out to be nothing special, other than the presentation.

All of my packages and envelopes have arrived in Miami, I’m just waiting on my brother’s envelope to arrive and I’ll release everything from my locker.

In my chess notes, I found a different variation to use against Troyclough and occasionally Jose when I have the White pieces.

I started feeling some discomfort in my upper back which encouraged me to leave at 11am.

I walked back to the apt (looks like our apt to the mall is about 1,200 steps) and took an Advil and my back felt much better.

From Teresa’s plate of coins in the dining room, I put 3,400 pesos in each pocket at left at 10:30 and walked to Ave Poblado. It was less than 5 minutes to catch a bus to Poblado. I got off just the other side of calle 10, crossed Ave Poblado and walked west 3 blocks to Philly Steaks. It was a little busy as I took a table outside under their canopy.

I ordered their double smash burger with fries and a Coke.

I had them skip the sauce so I could add mustard. It was pretty good (still difficult to find quality ground beef in burgers here) but the fries were crispy and delicious. I don’t remember exactly how much it was but I got some change for my 50mil.

There was a light drizzle as I left and retraced my steps to Ave Poblado. There was no wait for an Envigado bus but it was small, only about 20 seats and I couldn’t really squeeze into a seat. I was planning on getting off at the Gardenia bus stop and maybe (it was about 4:15 and their website said they close at 5pm) stopping in at the café for a latte. At the corner past Sao Paulo Plaza the bus started to make a right turn but luckily traffic was heavy so it was stopped. I raced to the front and hit the buzzer and got off and walked the rest of the way back to the apt.

Teresa returned about 5:30 from getting her hair and nails done.

I watched another episode of Downton Abbey then at 8pm switched to the Michelle O’Bama interview on MS NOW.

According to my step counter I walked 6,984 steps today. That’s a lot, I hope it doesn’t impact my ability on the treadmill tomorrow.

 

FUNNY

Wednesday, December 17, 202

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10:30. I quickly fell asleep, got up once at 3:15, finally waking/getting up at 6:30.

Teresa returned from her gym class at 7:30 and made breakfast. After a short nap to pass the time I left at 9am for the gym and I found Smartfit busier than usual. I had to change the order of my routine a few times but completed everything including 16 minutes on the treadmill.

Last Monday I noticed this new device they had in the gym:

And I asked ChatGPT about it and it said,

“This is a Smart Fit body composition analyzer that uses bioimpedance (“bioimpedancia”) to estimate what your body is made of.

What it is

The machine sends a very small, harmless electrical current through your body via the foot pads and the hand grips. Based on how easily that current travels, it estimates things like:

• Body fat %
• Muscle mass
• Body water %
• Bone mass (estimate)
• Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
• Sometimes visceral fat level

How to use it (step by step)

1.  Remove shoes and socks (the sign at the bottom says this).

2.  Empty your pockets and place personal items on the shelf (“Coloca aquí tus objetos personales”).

3.  Step onto the metal foot plates barefoot.

4.  Grab the two hand grips firmly (one in each hand).

5.  Stand still, arms slightly away from your body.

6.  Follow the instructions on the screen until it finishes.

The test usually takes 30–60 seconds.

Important accuracy tips

For more consistent results:

• Do it at the same time of day each time
• Avoid heavy exercise, alcohol, or large meals beforehand
• Hydration matters a lot—being dehydrated or overhydrated can change results
• Treat the numbers as trends, not exact medical measurements

What it is not

• It’s not a medical diagnostic tool
• Results can vary day to day; doctors use more precise methods”

 

I watched one of the younger female trainers on it being guided by a woman I think must be a manager (in white coat). The trainer stood on the pad in her bare feet and held two handles out to her sides. It seemed to take a while to get the results so I just continued on to my next exercise, the treadmill where I completed 16 minutes using a different breathing technique suggested by ChatGPT.

I had a latte in a busy Ganso y Castor for a couple hours, finally returning to the apt.

I brother won the Employee of the Year award at his company. Congratulations bro!

At 1pm we ordered a Didi to take us to Restaurante La gloria de Gloria. We had to wait in a short line and Teresa exclaimed about how large the chicharron was (the length of your forearm including your hand) that they were serving someone. It was about a 10-minute wait then we got an outside table. Teresa ordered one bandeja paisa and we shared it.

I also had a Coke and the check came to 86,000 pesos. We quickly caught a taxi back to the apt for 8,700 pesos.

I watched a couple more episodes of Downton Abbey.

Teresa informed me she would like to go to Plaza Mayor tomorrow morning for some fair so I declined Marcos’ invitation to meet for coffee.

Teresa went to bed at 8:30 and I informed her I’d be going to bed a little later because I wanted to watch D Rumpf’s presidential address to find out if the US is at war with Venezuela.

Well, that was a big nothing burger. To summarize: the US was broken a year ago under Joe Biden and today everything is great and it’s the envy of the world. Sheesh!

According to my step counter I walked 4,240 steps today; I’d like to hit 4,000 every day.

 

FUNNY

Tuesday, December 16, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 9:30. I quickly fell asleep, got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up by alarm at 6:30.

Today, Annie James is 3 months old.

At 7:20 I started the process of ordering a Didi. It was only 3 minutes away and I arrived at Unicentro mall 15 minutes early for 18,000 pesos. I didn’t see Jose near the mall entrance so I walked around the park across the street for 10 minutes to add more steps to my daily total.

I walked across the street and the mall soon opened and I went upstairs and took a seat in Parmessano. I was a little concerned because Jose hadn’t answered any of my texts but he arrived 5 minutes later.

After our usual breakfast, we moved to the food court and I had the Black pieces in the first game. (Later the computer showed me a combination I missed on my 10^th move which would have given me an early advantage.) He made a mistake on his 27^th move that gave me a bishop for a pawn then he tried to queen a pawn but I managed to prevent it and he resigned on the 41^st move.

It was now 11:30 and I commented I hope the next game isn’t any longer than this one.

I had the White pieces and got an attack against his king. By the 21^st move I was up 3 pawns and his king had no pawn cover – then I took another pawn and blundered my queen. ☹

It was only 12:40pm when we said goodbye and I ordered a Didi to take me to Viva Envigado for 25,100 pesos. I went up to Pergamino where I had their granola, yogurt and acai berry bowl with banana and strawberry slices.

I paid the epm bill in Exito, recycled a plastic pill bottle then took a seat in Urbania. There is a young waiter who insists on speaking English and you can almost see the wheels turning in his head as he asks me questions that I’ve already answered. 😊

I left at 3:45 and had to wait a few minutes for a taxi to take me to Eduardo Madrid Panaderia. I requested an order of 16 English muffins but they already had a box of 8 so I bought those for 20mil. I stopped in Ara on the way back to the apt and bought a bag of sugar and a bag of milk.

I resigned my game vs Troyclough, lowering my rating to 1517. ☹ I blundered a knight to him early and wasn’t able to recover.

Teresa informed me she wants to have lunch tomorrow in the very Colombian Restaurante La gloria de Gloria which is in Envigado just down the hill from Gloria’s Antica Pizza.

I watched the end of the Seahawks vs Colts game where there were 60- and 54-yard field goals in the last minute of play.

I ordered 4 bottles of Swanson Calendula Flower capsules from Amazon to arrive in Florida this Friday, December 19^th.

I forgot to mention that Expat, one of my readers, pointed out that Diner’s Club is clearly shown on the Davivienda ATM I included so hopefully my card will work when it arrives.

According to my step counter I walked 4,544 steps today; not sure how I got that many steps in.

 

FUNNY

Monday, December 15, 2025

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

Teresa was still home, obviously skipping gym this morning, so she made breakfast.

I forgot to mention yesterday Teresa stopped in the inexpensive jewelry store to sell her bracelets but the woman only offered 30mil for them. (The clasp alone cost 12mil.) On second thought, maybe she didn’t want to have to say “no” so she just offered an amount she knew she would refuse.

I left the apt at 8:15 and completed my workout in a not busy Smartfit including 16 minutes on the treadmill with a high pulse rate of 123 bpm.

Teresa called while I was having a latte in Ganso y Castor. She wanted me to pick up lettuce and laundry detergent on the way back to the apt but I didn’t have any extra cash with me. We decided in the future I’ll take a little extra cash on gym days in case she calls because she needs something.

The Bears Quarterback, Caleb Williams, made NFL history for throwing the fewest interceptions in his first 1,000 pass attempts in a career.

Correction, the Bears are 1^st in the NFC North but currently only have the 2^nd seed in the NFC playoffs.

I left at 10:45 and returned to the apt. The elevator was out so I had to go up 4 flights of stairs. (Happy we don’t live on the 8the floor.)

I took my shower then went to Ara and waited in a long line to pay for the two items.

Back at our building I used the ramp so I’d only have to go up 3 flights. I ran into Doyle coming down using his cane (I recall he has chronic vertigo). He asked about my brother and I mentioned he just came back from the wine country of California. He mentioned his wife wants to visit Napa Valley.

After lunch, about 2:30, I left the apt and walked the two blocks to Gardenia where I had a latte while going through some chess notes. I left at 4:45 and returned to the apt.

Jeannie, Jacob, Annie, and Rebel back home again:

I watched a couple more episodes of Downton Abbey then started my pre-sleep routine.

Today I walked 4,952 steps; wish I could do at least that many every day.

 

FUNNY

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. I quickly fell asleep, got up twice during the night, finally waking/getting up at 6:15. I had the university dream again and I think Teresa was with me.

I left the apt at 8am and as soon as I stepped out of the porteria a bird pooped on my head. Good thing I had my Apice baseball cap on. I walked to Sao Paulo listening to oldies on my iPod. I arrived at 8:30 and walked thru Carulla but didn’t find imported oranges. In Olivenza I ordered a simple breakfast of calentao, scrambled eggs, an arepa and a latte. I don’t know why the calentao was cold but I was hungry and ate it anyway.

Glenn showed up right as scheduled at 9am. He saw a nutritionist last week, with him was Juan to translate, but he wasn’t impressed with her process. He did admit he got a couple tips he can try. I told him Teresa is going to make Christmas Eve dinner and I’d like to order an apple pie and he said he would help me and I’ll pay him back.

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

Today the Chicago Bears play the Cleveland Browns, the favorite team of Jack, my old friend from college. So even though the Browns have only 3 wins I don’t to lose to them.

The temperature at game time was 8 degrees with a windchill of -4.

Finally, the Bears game started at 1pm and I finished my first package of peanuts with a Coke.

The Bears handled them well, winning 31-3. 😊

I left the apt about 5pm and walked to La Buena Mesa to a new (for me at least) Italian restaurant named Lorenzza.

The inside looked the same as after Danny remodeled it when it was Na Pizza. I wonder what happened to Danny? Maybe Chris Cajoleas will know; I’ll ask him next time I see him.

I had their meat lasagna with a glass of water and the check came to 37mil.

I took this video at the entrance to La Buena Mesa.

I returned to the apt and put on Chicago’s CBS hoping to be on time to see 60 Minutes. I ended up watching the Broncs vs Packers game, won by the former 34-26, putting the Bears back in 1^st place in the North Division of the NFC. 😊 Now they just need to beat the Packers next Saturday night in order to stay there. The Detroit Lions lost also.

After 60 Minutes it was time to start my pre-sleep routine.

Today I walked 4,919 steps which is a good number; I’d like to do that every day.

 

FUNNY

Saturday, December 13, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. I quickly fell asleep, got up twice during the night, finally waking/getting up at 6:30.

Teresa had already left for Nueva eps to get a doctor’s appointment.

The plan was if she finished early, she would return to the apt and make breakfast, otherwise she would call me and we’d meet in Los Porteños for breakfast.

She called at 7:15 and asked me to meet her in Los Porteños. I asked her to give me 10 minutes. She said, “no hurry”. I changed clothes and walked to Los Porteños but she wasn’t there. ☹ I tried calling her but there was no answer. I thought she might be in the restroom since it was occupied but a few minutes later a man came out.

I ordered a latte and she showed up 10 minutes later. She must have been still on her way from Nueve eps. We each ordered one of their croissant breakfasts they call Medialuna and lattes. 

She also ordered a side order of tomato slices and the total check came to 94,291 pesos.

She left to return to the apt and I walked to Viva Envigado. Upstairs I only had a 5-minute wait for Claro to open and I paid my cellphone bill of 79,100 pesos (about $20). I left and walked back to the apt.

I watched the final episode of season 5 of Downton Abbey. It turns out I was wrong; there is a 6^th season but it was broadcast in 2016 not 2026 so I don’t have to wait to see it.

Teresa informed me she wanted to take her mother to Sabaneta tonight. I said I would go with them.

At 5pm I tried ordering a Didi but no one wanted to accept the trip. Teresa decided it would be better if we went to the porteria and order a taxi. After we were picked up Teresa decided we would just go to Wilson’s restaurant in Metrosur. MT was waiting for us outside her building and we just walked the single block to Bocados. I had a Coke and kind of watched an Atletico Nacional soccer match (that ended 0-0 ☹) and went through my cellphone. I ended up with a 60-move draw vs Chesswiz98 lowering my rating to 1525. Teresa brought her bracelets and sold 2 of them to Martha for 75mil each.

Wilson asked how my brother is doing and I told him he, with his girlfriend, just returned from a trip to the wine country of California.

We all had the chicken breast plate plus tea for them and another Coke for me and the check came to 99,000 pesos. We left at 8pm and returned to the apt by Didi.

I immediately started my pre-sleep routine.

Today I know I walked well over 5,000 steps but I guess I forgot to write it down.

 

FUNNY