Friday, September 11, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10:15, was still awake when Teresa got up at 12:30, we both took another ½ zopiclona and returned to bed this time falling asleep quickly, finally waking/getting up at 6:45 and Teresa was already up.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 5,313 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 6 hours and 42 minutes for a sleep score of 75.

Wow, today is the 25^th anniversary of 9/11; can’t believe it’s a quarter century in the past already. Well, it’s understandable when I think of where I was then and where I am now.

We left the apt at 9:30 and drove to Deerfield Bakery in Buffalo Grove. Again, Teresa had the skillet and I had the 2x2 and we shared a pecan roll with coffee. Teresa ate half her skillet and got the remainder to go. We drove to All Seasons Orchard in Woodstock.

We presented our free passes and they gave us two small paper bags for our apples. I understood any more than fit in the bags and we would have to pay for more bags. A tractor pulled us in a hayrack a short distance to the orchard. They had American flags indicating the rows (one gala and the other honey crisp) that we were supposed to use. I couldn’t believe how plentiful the apples were; previously I’ve always gone in October when it was difficult to find ripe apples.

We easily filled one of the bags then walked down to the honey crisp row. The honey crisp didn’t look healthy as they all had a spot on them. We returned to the gala row and filled the 2^nd bag and then some. We returned to the entrance and the girl nicely didn’t charge us for the extra apples.

We stopped in their store where we shared an apple cider donut and a glass of apple cider (she was not impressed) and got a small apple pie to go.

We drove to Crystal Lake where Teresa checked out Ross and I bought a 10-pack of thin socks and a stick of deodorant. We stopped nearby at a T.J. Maxx where Teresa returned a few items. Sitting in the car in the parking lot we finished the leftovers from Teresa’s breakfast.

I stopped at a gas station and filled up the car with $4.25 per gallon gas.

We returned to the Airbnb and brought up our things to our apt. We left again at 7:30 and drove to the nearby Chinese restaurant Twin Dragon where we shared a plate of chicken with rice and I had a hot tea. The check was $15.55 and I gave them $20 and told them to keep the change.

We stopped at a Walgreens where Teresa was looking for some type of fingernail polish. I found a group of 6 teenagers (1 guy, 5 girls) and one spoke Spanish and helped Teresa find what she was looking for.

We returned to the Airbnb.

I finished James Patterson’s Kill Alex Cross on my Kindle and downloaded the next book in the series.

 

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FUNNY

Thursday, September 10, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10:30, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 2am, took a little while to fall back asleep, finally waking at 7am and getting up with Teresa at 8am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 5,445 yesterday and last night I slept for 6 hours and 46 minutes for a sleep score of 79.

I went for a nap after breakfast but didn’t sleep much if at all.

We left the apt just before 11:30 and arrived at Jeannie’s apartment right at noon. (The google maps lady did me wrong again and took me on the tollway for a few minutes. Somehow the ‘avoid tollways’ option got turned off and I had to turn it back on again.)

We fed the girls then took them in the double stroller to Michael’s Grill where Teresa had a grilled chicken sandwich, Jeannie had some type of wrap and I had a cheeseburger with a Coke.

We walked a couple blocks further to Harmony Coffee Bar where I had a latte and Jeannie a Matcha Latte. We sat outside and Teresa took the girls on several walks around the area in their stroller.

We stopped at Walgreen’s where Jeannie picked up some photos. Back at the house we soon said our goodbyes as it was time for their naps.

We drove to a couple malls finally settling on Marshall’s in Deerbrook Mall where Teresa bought 2 blouses and I found a Bears cap for only $12.99. I bought a Sun-Times in Jewel next door. As I was returning to Marshall’s I saw a Brinks truck parked outside. A 50-ish man came out carrying a bag (which I later deduced was probably empty) and I told him in Medellin, Colombia he would have a 45 revolver at his side and another man with him carrying a shotgun.

We returned to the apt.

Troyclough resigned our game increasing my rating to 1547.

For supper Teresa had leftover Fish Tikka Masala and I had the remainder of my Gale Street ribs. Everything was just as delicious as when then were fresh.

I checked my crossword puzzle from yesterday and I got it 100% correct. 😊

This video of Annie James is from last Friday when they were driving to Lake Geneva:

 

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FUNNY

 

Wednesday, September 9, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, took at least until midnight to tall asleep, got up once during the night, finally waking at 6:30 and getting up with Terea at 8am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 6,554 yesterday and last night I slept for 5 hours and 14 minutes for a sleep score of 63.

I had a 39-minute nap after breakfast.

We left the apt at 10:30 and I dropped Teresa off at Marshall’s while I headed to the laundromat. The woman there helped me get change (quarters) and starting the washers and dryers. I did a load of whites and one of coloreds. I walked across the street to the 7-11 but they didn’t have the Sun-Times. After I folded everything and put it in the trunk I drove to Walgreen’s where I bought the only Sun-Times they had. I drove to Marshall’s where Teresa was trying on clothes. She didn’t find anything she liked but I found a Bears sleeveless t-shirt in the larger size I needed for $16.99.

We had our usual lunch in Panera Bread then went nearby to Ross Dress for Less but they didn’t have anything we were interested in.

Back at the apt Teresa took a nap while I successfully completed the Sun-Times crossword puzzle.

We left the Airbnb at 6:30 and drove to Gale Street Inn on Milwaukee where Michael and his girlfriend Chelsey (sp?) were waiting for us. Unfortunately, our seats were right under an A/C vent and I almost froze my backside. Michael doesn’t remember the little Spanish he knew because he’s got Russian running through his brain which I hear pisses off his Czeck friends. He won’t be able to attend Annie’s birthday party because he has a friend in Atlanta dying of brain cancer he needs to visit. I learned Chelsey does event planning. Michael and I ordered a full rack of ribs, Chelsie (sp?) their jumbalaya, and Teresa their salmon. Teresa told me later her salmon was dry but our ribs were great, much better than Carson’s. I ate half my ribs and got the other half to go.

We left at 8:30 and stopped in Walmart for a few groceries before returning to the Airbnb.

 

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FUNNY

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up twice during the night, finally waking/getting up at 6:15.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 3,398 yesterday and last night I slept for 7 hours and 42 minutes for a sleep score of 81.

Teresa slept in until 8am.

I’m trying to schedule supper with Michael (aka Mr_Blamo) for tomorrow night. I’m suggesting we meet at Gale Street Inn on North Milwaukee. They have salmon and great ribs; hoping they’re better than Carson’s from the other night. Speaking of tomorrow, it’s looking more and more like rain so we may be moving our apple picking outing to Friday.

After breakfast I had a nap for an hour but my Fitbit says I only slept for 17 minutes.

We left the Airbnb at 11am and at first I had a little problem with the google maps lady giving me a route. We arrived at Jeannie’s house by 11:45. Today she is taking care of her own daughter plus Joanne’s daughter Lucy. After playing with the kids for a while, we walked two blocks to downtown Highland Park where we had drinks in Harmony Café. 

We stopped on the way back to the house at Michael’s Grill where we bought a hotdog for me, chicken sandwich for Teresa and hamburger for the girls. Back at the house, after finishing lunch, we played in their playpen for a while until Joanne arrived to pick up Lucy.

Joanne and Jeannie have been friends since kindergarten after playing on the same AYSO soccer team. Jeannie’s Lucy is one month older than Annie. Jeannie and Joanne both live in Highland Park 1 mile from each other. Joanne is an interior decorator and she was instrumental in Jeannie becoming a private consultant for interior designers. Joanne watches both girls on Monday & Wednesdays and Jeannie watches them on Tuesdays & Thursdays. 😊

We gifted Joanne a couple of Colombian dresses for Lucy.

We left about 3:30 and drove to a nearby T.J. Maxx on Skokie Blvd. Teresa returned a blouse and I bought a National Geographic magazine about The Revolutionary War for Jimmy. We drove to another T.J. Maxx in Morton Grove where Teresa found 2 pairs of jeans and I found a Bears sleeveless t-shirt

to wear around the house.

We drove to Twin Dragon restaurant on Golf Rd but found it closed. I drove us nearby to Himalayan Restaurant where I ordered fish tika masala for Teresa and chicken tika masala for me and they came with basmati rice. Delicious! She didn’t remember the place until after she tasted the food, which she loved. Me too! She got about 1/3 of it to go with some basmati rice.

Chesswiz98 resigned our game on the 24^th move increasing my rating to 1543.

Teresa tried on the pants and decided she’ll return them.

I went out to the car to retrieve Teresa’s cellphone and about 15 feet away I saw 2 raccoons climb up the side of the dumpster.

We went to bed at 10pm but I couldn’t fall asleep until about midnight after Teresa asked me to get up and turn up the air conditioning. I was feeling warm also but just too lazy to get up and change it.

 

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FUNNY

Monday, September 7, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 11pm, took about an hour to fall asleep, got up once at 3:15, fell back asleep quickly, finally waking/getting up at 7am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 8,594 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 6 hours and 13 minutes for a sleep score of 71.

Today is a holiday here – Labor Day!

After breakfast I had a 52-minute nap.

Despite my intentions to avoid it, last night I went through an Illinois Tollbooth so now I have to figure out how to pay the toll.

We left the Airbnb just after 10:30 and drove an hour to Illinois Beach State Park. There didn’t seem to be much there for us since we didn’t bring swimsuits but Teresa was impressed by the beach and the large lake. We headed back the way we came and stopped at Emily’s Pancake House where Teresa had chicken breast with hash browns and I had the steak (which I didn’t much care for) & eggs but Teresa got the steak and some hash browns to go for our supper tonight.

We returned basically the way we came but stopped in Randhurst Village mall where Teresa returned another blouse to T.J. Maxx but bought another $144 in clothes. We went next door to Skechers where I bought a very light pair of gym shoes for $68.

We stopped at The Original Rainbow Cone ice cream shop (it’s their 100^th anniversary this year) on Rand Road where I bought a small cone with the 5 standard flavors. Of course, Teresa just had a taste of each layer and I finished the rest.

We returned to the Airbnb.

ChatGPT helped me move the Stockfish 18 engine to a more secure location.

I checked the Illinois Tollway website and it looks like I have 14 days to pay the toll. I’ll wait just in case I have more.

For her 1^st birthday I made a donation to Annie James’ 529 plan.

 

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FUNNY

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, didn’t fall asleep until after midnight, got up once at 4:30, finally fell back asleep, waking/getting up at 7am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 5,002 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 7 hours and 3 minutes for a sleep score of 64.

After breakfast I returned to bed for a nap and slept for a few more minutes.

We left the Airbnb at 11:15 and drove to Randhurst Village mall where Teresa got a refund on one of the blouses she bought yesterday.

She shopped some more in T.J. Maxx, Macy’s and Old Navy but didn’t find anything.

We had lunch again in Panera Bread for $30.16 then returned to the Airbnb.

We left at 3:30 and picked up Jimmy at his condo and continued on to White Sox Park. Traffic was much heavier, now that the team is winning, as evidenced by the fact we parked in lot G instead of A like last time.

We arrived at our seats by the top of the 2^nd inning with the score still 0-0.

Jim went for a slice of pizza while Teresa and I got in a long line for hotdogs and sodas. The White Sox won, 10-1, over the Minnesota Twins with two home runs, and thus fireworks, and of course more fireworks after the win. It was a slog getting back to our car although Jimmy did a good job of guiding us.

We dropped Jimmy off at his condo and continued on to our Airbnb. We stopped at Walmart to buy another carton of eggs and a large container of half & half for our coffee.

We got to bed at 11pm.

 

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FUNNY

 

Saturday, September 5, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 4am, couldn’t fall asleep, looked at my phone from 5 to 5:30, fell back asleep, finally waking/getting up with Teresa at 8am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 9,516 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 7 hours and 18 minutes for a sleep score of 71.

We left the apt at 10am and drove to Long Grove, IL. Not only does it have neat shops

but it was Irish Days. They had Irish dancing, Irish music (bagpipes and drums), and an Irish kilt contest.

We had lunch at the 200-year-old Village Tavern

a chicken sandwich for Teresa and a burger for me. Including Cokes it came to about $60 including tip.

Across the street we visited Olivia’s Boutique where Teresa found a blouse she loved for $74.52.

We stopped nearby at the Long Grove Confectionary where I bought a package of 6 apple spice donuts for $8.14. 

I was a little concerned they might not be fresh because they were prepackaged but they sure tasted fresh.

We took them next door to Long Grove Coffee where we ordered lattes for $10.28 to have with our donuts. (Teresa had one bite, declared they were delicious and that’s all she ate.)

We drove to Randhurst Village mall where Teresa found 3 blouses in T.J. Maxx for a total of $98.30.

 We returned to the apt and Teresa made herself an omelet and me 2 ears of sweet corn. I finally tried one of the oranges and found it was the same from Chile that we currently have in Medellin. Which I don’t like, too hard to eat and not sweet enough.

I won a game vs Troyclough increasing my rating to 1537. I tried a new opening, the Queens’s Gambit, and on my 21^st move blundered my rook and on the next move he blundered his queen.

I spent at least an hour with ChatGPT getting my Stockfish 18 engine set up correctly for game analysis. Next I will have to move it from the download folder to a place more secure.

 

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FUNNY

 

Friday, September 4, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up with Teresa at 7am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 8,096 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 8 hours and 20 minutes for a sleep score of 81.

Happy Birthday Laura! Today she is 25 years old.

I was thinking maybe my mouse just somehow became unpaired with my laptop so I used ChatGPT and it suggested I start with the old battery, turn the mouse off, wait 10 seconds and turn it back on. I tried that and it worked. 😊 I’m back in business with my laptop again.

We left the Airbnb at 9:30 and first made a stop at an ATM to get more cash. At the Des Plaines train station I paid $2 for parking and bought 2 one-way tickets to downtown Chicago for $11. The next train was at 10:30 so we had a 45-minute wait. Soon there was an announcement that the train was delayed for some mechanical issue in Cary and there would be another 45-minute wait. We walked across the street to check out the stores in the area. Workers were replacing sidewalk tiles but near us a man in a wheelchair was stuck in the sand. We pushed him out and into the street as far as the next driveway which was for the police department.

We walked around the block and back to the station and a train arrived at 11:15.

We took a Wendella Water Taxi to Chinatown for $10, which included a 50% senior discount. 

When we got off at the dock a freight train was starting to come by cutting us off. I told Teresa it could be 100 cars long so she took a seat nearby. I continued to count until the train had passed and there were 122 cars.

 

It was just after noon and we were hungry so we stopped at the Veggie House for lunch for $55.83.

Teresa checked out a few stores but it was the same stuff as before and she actually commented we don’t have to return to Chinatown again. We stopped in café Tous Les Jours which is the same one in Glenview where Teresa would buy bread. We had lattes and shared some fancy pastry and used their restrooms.

We returned to the dock and a boat was just about to leave. Back at the train station I led Teresa 2 ½ blocks to the corner of Monroe & Wacker and asked her to look up so she could see the 110-story Sears Tower. 

(I worked there from 1972-1980, which seems like a lifetime ago.)

Back at the train station we caught the 5:07 local train to Des Plaines.

We went a block away to Potbelly where I ordered 2 cheese & broccoli soups and a turkey sandwich to share. I had an iced tea while Teresa just had water.

I stopped at the supermarket across the way and bought a 6-pack of English muffins before we returned to the apt.

I started my pre-sleep reading routine at 9:15 and went to bed at the usual 10pm.

 

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FUNNY

Thursday, September 3, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, slept through the night, finally waking/getting up at 6:15.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 5,930 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 7 hours and 40 minutes for a sleep score of 84. Now that’s what I’m talking about!

I found the email with 2 free passes to All Seasons Orchard including ½ peck of free apples, which according to ChatGPT amounts to about 12-15 apples.

My mouse died. I changed the battery but it still doesn’t work. ☹

Mouse works again, I’ll explain later.

We had breakfast in the apt and drove up to Highland Park to meet with family. We briefly saw Jacob before he disappeared into his office/den for a telephone meeting. Annie seemed to recognize us and we watched her play for a while. Jeannie put Annie in a stroller and we took her and Rebel for a walk in the park. It was a warm muggy day and the flies were fearsome so we didn’t linger beyond 45 minutes. 

Rebel did his business and of course I had to clean it up. Back at the house Jeannie brought out a new toy, it’s a 4-tiered open stand where you put a soft ball in at the top and it rolls down the shoot and comes out the bottom. It took a couple demonstrations until Annie caught on and started doing it herself. We had a simple lunch there – a salad for Teresa and sandwich for me. They were having a new mattress delivered when we left about 4pm.

I drove us to a new mall Village Square of Northbrook and we checked out a few shops like Trader Joes, Bloomingdale’s The Outlet, Designer Shoe Warehouse, and Nordstrom Rack. Teresa seemed to like the shoe offerings in the latter but it was getting late and we were getting hungry.

I drove us to Carson’s where we shared an order of half ribs and half brisket. Teresa had a Coke Zero and I had 2 regular Cokes. The total check came to $72.53 including tip.

I drove us to another Nordstrom Rack across from Old Orchard Mall and Teresa checked out the shoes there.

We left about 7pm, we stopped at a Walgreen’s where I bought a 4-pack of AA batteries.

A new battery didn’t work either. ☹

We went to bed at our usual 10pm.

 

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FUNNY

Wednesday, September 2, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, took quite a while to fall asleep (after 2 Cokes I should have skipped the latte), got up twice during the night, finally waking/getting up just before 7am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 3,854 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 5 hours and 32 minutes for a sleep score of 64.

Today we’re going apple picking so I’ll be wearing some less than clean shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt.

We left the Airbnb at 8:30 and drove to Deerfield Bakery in Buffalo Grove. Teresa had their skillet while I had their 2x2 and a pecan pastry. We both had coffee for a total of $36.05. About the same price as the other breakfasts but at least we didn’t have to leave a tip.

We continued on to Woodstock (about an hour) and arrived at an empty parking lot at All Seasons Orchard. Uh-oh! A man was just leaving in his pickup truck but he stopped to talk to us (me). He is from Idaho and assists small farmers in keeping their farms by diversifying. The farm has an apple orchard, pumpkin patch, barnyard, farmer’s market, corn maze, tractor rides, apple cider, apple cider donuts, etc. He agreed that they opened for the season last Saturday but just for last weekend. They will open during the week starting next week. It’s a long way to go for apples but it’s even further going there for no apples. He did take my email address and promised to send us free entry passes.

We continued on to downtown Woodstock which was nothing to write home about, especially in this heat. We walked through a lot of the shops and Teresa found a few things to buy – supporting local tourism.

I stopped at a local Citgo and filled the car the remaining halfway for $3.99 a gallon – a bargain these days.

We drove to Millie’s Hallmark Cards in Mount Prosect where I bought a birthday card for Annie and gift bags for her and Lucy.

We had lunch in Panera Bread, basically the same as yesterday, the You Pick Two for each of us.

We stopped in Burlington (Coat Factory) were Teresa found a few things for $25.99.

We stopped in Ross Dress for Less and bought a few things including this pair of Chicago Bears shorts I’m going to wear around the apt for a total of $37.45.

We stopped in Walmart and used their restroom and bought prunes, a package of mixed vegetables, sweet corn, and eggs.

We stopped in the Tous Les Jours bakery again where Teresa bought another small loaf of bread.

We returned to the Airbnb by 7:15 and I went to bed at 10pm.

 

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FUNNY

Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 4:30, couldn’t fall back asleep, got up at 5 and did some work on my computer including downloading another Alex Cross book, read until 6:15, returned to bed and woke up at 8am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 7,778 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 6 hours and 57 minutes for a sleep score of 76.

Yesterday was warm but I just about froze my tushy in the air-conditioned stores and malls. Even though there’s a heat advisory for today, I’m going with jeans since we’ll probably be in and out of stores again today.

We left the apt at 10:30 and drove a short distance to Ross Dress for Less in Golf Mill. Teresa found a number of makeup items and I bought a 6-pack of thin socks. (I should have brought more thin socks but who would have thought we would have temperatures in the 90s in September?)

Our next stop was Dollar Tree where Teresa found a couple more things.

We had lunch in Panera Bread, You Pick Two – we both had the broccoli cheddar soup and we both had differing types of chicken sandwiches. I had an iced tea and she had water from our thermos for a total of $24.50 and I stole a few packets of sugar for my morning coffee.

We returned to the apt and Teresa put on the new nail polish she bought and hated it so much she threw both (small) bottles away. I don’t think even the nail polish remover worked well.

We left the apt just after 5pm and met Jeannie with Annie James at Hackney’s on Harms. (Jacob plays in a bags (American version of Tejo) league on Tuesday nights.) Annie kept us busy entertaining her so she didn’t get bored and cranky. 

We shared a medium order of an onion loaf then Jeannie had a burger and Teresa and I the turkey plate with a couple Cokes. I was disappointed with the turkey - I think it was much better at L’Woods. The check with a 20% tip came to $91.40. The weather was so blasted hot we didn’t feel like lingering.

We’ll meet again Thursday morning before Annie goes down for her nap. Lucy (Joann’s daughter) should be there also.

We stopped at a Walgreen’s where I bought deodorant, correction fluid and a Sun-Times and Teresa bought some nail polish.

We stopped at Paris Baguette bakery/café where I had a latte but I didn’t see any pastries worthy of the calories. I can wait until tomorrow. 😊

We returned to the apt by 8pm.

 

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FUNNY

Monday, August 31, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 9:30, fell asleep quickly, got up once at 2:30, finally waking/getting up at 6:30.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 7,236 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 8 hours and 29 minutes for a sleep score of 87. 😊

It just started raining so it was probably a good decision not to go apple picking today.

I guess Teresa was still tired as she returned to bed and I joined her and slept for another 58 minutes.

My brother confirmed we will be able to meet him and my cousin David for lunch in Geneva on Monday, September 14^th.

We showered, dressed, and left the Airbnb at 10:15. We stopped first at Chase Bank where I withdrew another $200. We continued on to Chicago Fashion Outlet in Rosemont.

Teresa found a pair of sandals in Boss for $33.13 she can wear after getting pedicures.

We had 3 hours free parking and managed to complete our visit in 2 ½ hours. When we came out there had obviously been rain while we were inside and after that it rained on and off for the next few hours.

I drove us to Mr. Beef where I ordered 2 Italian beef sandwiches, a small dry with juice on the side for Teresa and a regular-size wet for me. She drank water from our thermos and I had a medium soda.

We continued on to Woodfield mall. (I got lost on the way, turning south on Arlington Heights Road.)

I bought a new pair of gym shoes in JD for $159.86.

Teresa bought some supplement in GNC for $56.36. Luckily the manager spoke Spanish which saved me from doing lots of translations.

I drove us to Morkes Chocolates on Rand Road where I had an apple cider donut and we each had a coffee.

We stopped at Potbelly in Des Plaines and bought 2 bowls of broccoli cheddar soup to go. While there I asked about our cheese clumping problem and the guy also suggested it was because we weren’t shredding the cheese enough.

We returned to our Airbnb and ate the soup with the oyster crackers (made in Vermont) that they included.

I’m not happy with my new fanny pack from L.L. Bean and I’m seriously considering returning it.

Tonight Teresa told me something about needing to get married in a church so she can legitimately get communion. ☹ I asked her what document she needs; more details forthcoming.

I finished reading James Patterson’s Cross Fire (Alex Cross #17) on my Kindle just before going to bed at 10pm. That’s the 6^th book I’ve read this month. Not sure if that’s a record for me.

An Annie James video, from last week:

 

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JOKE OF THE DAY

 

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.  Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

Sunday, August 30, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, slept through the night, finally waking at 6am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 5,465 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 6 hours and 42 minutes for a sleep score of 82.

Then I fell back asleep while waiting for Teresa to get up and my total changed to 7 hours and 36 minutes for a sleep score of 84.

Teresa made a simple breakfast this morning of scrambled eggs and an English muffin for me and toast for her with instant coffee.

We had a little shower early this morning, as expected. We were planning on going to the Chicago Botanical Gardens today but Jeannie suggested we meet at Old Orchard Shopping Center around noon to do a little…wait for it… shopping.

We left the Airbnb a little late and I got lost anyway. I approached the mall from Lake Street so I was already too far north and then when I realized it wasn’t the right mall I turned north and drove further away. When I realized my error, I asked Google Maps for help and it directed me south and west to the mall. We were about 20 minutes late meeting with Jeannie and Annie.

We found them coming out of Macy’s. They helped me look for a new fanny pack (the zipper on the old one broke and it was looking well worn) and I finally found one on L.L Bean for $35.

We went to a new restaurant named Cupitol for lunch. Teresa and Jeannie had the turkey breast sandwich with a Coke and I had the crunchy chicken sandwich and a Coke and Annie had the Amy’s Chicken Sausage for $69.56 including tip.

They left just after 2pm as Annie needed a nap. We’re going to meet for supper Tuesday night at Hackney’s when their special is hot turkey plate.

We drove to Oberweis Dairy where we shared a hot fudge sundae and I started working on the crossword puzzle from Friday’s Chicago Sun-Times.

We stopped at a nearby bakery called Tous Les Jours where Teresa bought a small loaf of bread. It is also a café and I noticed hey offer strawberry matcha.

We returned to the apt and Teresa took a nap. My eyes have been feeling much better now that I’m out of Medellin’s pollution.

It looks like rain is possible tomorrow so we’ll probably stay local and go apple picking on Wednesday.

Teresa liked Portillo's chopped salad so much we went back and shared one for our supper.

On our way back I saw another bakery even closer called Paris Baguette.

 

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JOKE OF THE DAY

 

Sex is like air.  It isn’t important unless you aren’t getting any.

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 9pm, fell asleep quickly, slept through the night, finally waking/getting up with Teresa at 6am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 9,248 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 8 hours and 31 minutes for a sleep score of 89. 😊 Wow, I think that’s a new high.

We left the Airbnb at 9am and had breakfast in the Niles Diner. Teresa and I had basically had the same food as yesterday without the avocado and the check was only about $5 cheaper. The total check came to about $33 & change and I gave the waitress $40 and told her to keep the change.

I got a little turned around (I’d forgotten the names of some of the lesser streets) but found The UPS Store a few blocks away. The teenage pimply-faced girl who assisted us spoke so softly I had to ask her to speak up. She must be new because at first she quoted a price of only $7. We sent the dress to Laura and it should arrive on September 3^rd, the day before her birthday.

I also saw a plastic letter opener I haven’t seen in a while so I had to buy that and the total came to about $22.

We drove to Walmart and bought 3 new TSA locks. One was missing from my suitcase so I assumed they opened it and didn’t reclose it correctly. I hate the 2 locks on Teresa’s suitcase; we have to hold them in a specific, difficult way, in order to have any chance of seeing the numbers. ☹ We also bought some vitamins and skin cream (like Bengay but supposedly better), for Esmeralda, One-A-Day vitamins for Teresa, Payday snack-size candy bars for the kids in our building for Halloween, Afrin, Blink eyedrops, Excedrin and Dove soap for me, and eggs, muffins, bread, coffee, and cream to make breakfast. The total came to $156.19. Teresa also looked at some sunglasses on sale for $60 but in the end decided not to buy them.

We returned to the apt by 1pm and put everything away.

I set up the TSA locks with our usual number and updated my blog notes. Teresa called her mother and they chatted for a while. (I swear they can talk all day long without pause.)

My eyes feel a lot better being outside that polluted valley of Medellin. But then maybe it’s because I slept better.

With the help of ChatGPT I downloaded Stockfish 18 to analyze my chess games.

At 5pm we met jimmy at Countryside Saloon and watched the Bears defeat the Tennessee Titans 25-14. Jimmy and I shared a medium Italian sausage pizza while Teresa had a chopped salad with salmon. We all had sodas and I paid the check of $70 (tip included). Jimmy left early in the 3^rd quarter. We will meet Sunday September 6^th for a White Sox game but he’s pretty busy before that.

Teresa and I stopped at Walmart again and bought dish soap, laundry soap and strawberry preserves (for my muffins).

Tonight I brought in my packages and while I thought I ordered 7 bottles of Calendula (Marigold Flower) apparently, I ordered 14 which will last me for the next 2 years.

Annie James with Jeannie

Expat: Luckily, the 3.6% COLA is of a much higher number than my 5% rent increase.

 

RELEASE ALL THE EPSTEIN FILES NOW!

 

JOKE OF THE DAY

 

A man has six children and is very proud of his achievement. He is so proud
of himself he starts calling his wife, "Mother of Six" in spite of her
objections.
One night they go to a party. The man decides it’s time to go home and
wants to find out if his wife is ready to leave as well.  He shouts at the
top of his voice, "Shall we go home Mother of six?"
His wife irritated by her husband's lack of discretion shouts right back,
"Anytime you're ready, Father of Four."

Friday, August 28, 2026

Last night I went to bed at 2pm, fell asleep quickly, finally waking at 6:30 and getting up with Teresa at 7am.

According to my Fitbit, I got in 8,152 steps yesterday and last night I slept for 4 hours and 18 minutes for a sleep score of only 61. ☹

We drove (damn, its nice to be driving again) to The Sugar Bowl in downtown Des Plaines, parked next to the building (again parking evenly between the lines is a challenge) and took a booth inside. Teresa had her eggs sunny side up with hash browns and a side order of avocado while I had my eggs over easy with hash browns and patty sausage. We both had the endless cup of coffee with cream. The shock was the final bill of $38.47 plus another $6 for a tip.

We stopped at the T-Mobile office on Golf Road in Niles, checked in and sat at a waiting table. We waited about 20 minutes to be helped but I easily signed up for an unlimited monthly coverage package for me for $62.16. Teresa decided she would be okay with coverage in the apt and in cafes/restaurants.

We drove the 30 minutes on the Edens Expressway

Which brings up the question should I sign up for the Illinois Easy Pass program so I can drive on the Toll roads or can I avoid them?

to Jeannie & Jacob’s house. They came outside and greeted us with Annie and Rebel. We went inside and I gave them their bag of coffee and Rebel loved the pull toy (and he’s still stronger than me). I was surprised at how heavy Annie James is, not fat, just solid.

Jacob had to do some yard work so we took Annie and Rebel on a leisurely walk around their park and they showed us larger houses a block away. We continued on to downtown where Jeannie introduced us to Harmony Café where we had fancy drinks for $26.23. They had the Matcha Tea and I had the Strawberry Matcha and we took seats at a table outside.

We returned to the apt and Jeannie gave me my Amazon and Swanson packages I had forwarded to their house.

I drove to Fidelity Investments, Teresa stayed in the car and I went inside. After a short wait a rep got me started setting up a Fidelity Cash Management Account. I told him I often visit my brother living in Colombia and I confirmed they don’t charge foreign transaction fees. I gave them my brother’s cellphone number but the kicker was they need to send me an SMS confirmation message and using that phone take a photo of my Illinois Drivers license and my face. Hopefully I can take care of that when I meet later with my brother. If not, oh well, that’s life.

We drove to a Ross Store for Less in Morton Grove where Teresa found a pair of shorts, 2 small containers of skin cream, a bottle of skin cleanser, and a bottle of Vaseline skin cream and I found a short sleeve shirt and 6-pak of Fruit of the Loom underwear for a total of $56.41.

I took her to Portillo’s Hotdogs where I ordered my prepared list of a breaded whitefish sandwich for her, a cheeseburger for me, onion rings, a chocolate cake shake, chopped salad, and strawberry shortcake for $46.87. She loved her sandwich and I my burger and we shared the rest but got the last two items to go.

I stopped at a Chase Bank ATM and was unsuccessful at withdrawing $600 but it allowed me to withdraw $200 for a $4 ATM fee.

We stopped in Jewel/Osco and bought a few things.

We returned to our Airbnb and got a little better organized.

We were both exhausted and went to bed at 9pm.

 

RELEASE ALL THE EPSTEIN FILES NOW!

 

JOKE OF THE DAY

 

A husband and wife had a bitter quarrel on the day of their 40th wedding
anniversary!
The husband yells, "When you die, I'm getting you a headstone that reads,
"Here Lies My Wife - Cold as Ever.'
"Yeah?" she replies. "When you die, I'm getting you a headstone that reads,
‘Here Lies My Husband - Stiff At Last.'"