Saturday, October 29th, 2016

Well, I had trouble getting to sleep last night so there will probably be a nap in my near future.

It rained some overnight.  I left the apt about 10am, walked in a slight drizzle, added 50mil to our cell phone, had my SS annual Benefits Letter copied to my memory drive as a .pdf file at the paper store, and bought a small bag of rice at the corner store.

I took a little nap from 11am to noon.

I sent a new email to the US Embassy in Bogota requesting a certified SS Benefits Letter.  I attached pdf files containing a completed Release of Information Letter, Passport, and old SS Benefits Letter along with my apt address in Envigado.  We’ll see how long it takes to get here and if this is any help (money wise or time wise) in obtaining a new Visa come December.

Among new US movie releases, there isn’t anything I want to see.  Locally, I want to see The Accountant (8.0), Ouija: Origen of Evil (6.7), and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (6.4).

I watched a couple movies in the afternoon – mainly killing time until World Series game #4 starts at 7pm.

This week’s close was 2,961 Colombian Pesos to the Dollar.

About 8pm Laura came back from the beauty shop with her hair braided and some special makeup.  She left about 9pm for a Halloween party in Parque Lleras with her girlfriends.  Very cute!

Laura in her new boots

With Halloween makeup

The Cleveland Indians spanked the Chicago Cubs 7-2 to go up 3-1 in the World Series.

T-shirt of the day: American buffalo.

Friday, October 28th, 2016

I got up at 7:30, had my usual breakfast (scrambled eggs, buttered arepa and coffee) and we left the apt at 8:30.  At Euro in Mayorista I helped Teresa find some necessary things and then I had a café con leche for 2,000 pesos while Teresa picked up the meat and vegetables.  For a full shopping cart the total bill came to 372,702 ($125).  We took a cash car (effectivo) back to the apt for 10mil.

I received another email from yahoo that someone attempted to access my account again this morning from Russia.

We left just before noon and Teresa and her mother participated in the noon exercise class.  I was doing a tricep weight exercise with 40# when Jose asked why I was using so little weight (he was using 80#).  I told him I’m 70 years old, half his age.  He said don’t think about the numbers and I told him he’s the one who started talking about numbers – 40#.  Lol. They finished at 1pm and headed back to the apt to make lunch while I finished up at 1:20.

About 3:30 we had a thunder storm come through that set off a lot of the car alarms.  It only lasted about 20 minutes and then we had a rain storm that lasted another 20 minutes.  After that I walked over to the paper store where I had the information page of my passport copied to my memory drive as a .pdf file.  That cost me 1,000 pesos.  On the way back to the apt I saw these large fresh churros in a bakery so I bought 2 for 2,600 pesos.  I also noticed that along the main street (Avenida Poblado) they have dug around some small trees that are now tied in burlap.  I think they are to be moved in anticipation of the new express bus line going in.

I ate one of the churros right away when I got back to the apt.  They were large and fresh but it seems the taste could be better somehow so the search for the perfect churro continues.

Teresa informed me that Guillermo, our finca neighbor, was robbed last week.  I know he was poor but I understood they took his TV and other valuables from his house.  She also said something about them taking his dogs in order to rob him; not sure exactly what that means.  It’s a good thing we’re out of there.  Later, Teresa told me that the woman that currently is renting her finca wants out.  She has a one year contract that ends next May so Teresa will have to find another renter.

I watched the Chicago Cubs lose to the Cleveland Indians 1-0.  J

T-shirt of the day: I’m more than just a pretty face.

Thursday, October 27th, 2016

I’ve been sleeping well lately mainly because, for some unknown reason, I’ve been able to get to sleep quickly after lying down.

At 11am Teresa sent me to the corner store to buy a couple small packages of hair rinse but they don’t sell it there.  She told me she’s not happy with the hair rinse the lady in Fedco sold her the other day.  I thought we were going to Mayorista to buy more food, but now with her hair catastrophe, I understand we’re going back to Santafe mall.

Teresa showed me a letter for the building and if I understand correctly someone from Une is going to come and for 47,000 pesos check our gas connection.  I think this might be an annual thing. 

We left the apt about 1pm for lunch in the garage restaurant.  Today the main course was beef.  And, as usual, it was too tough for me to chew so I had a second helping of salad.  I think they have the same thing every Thursday so I have to remember not to come on this day of the week.

Back at the apt Teresa said she was too hot and tired to go to Santafe now, maybe later.

I understood Laura had another job interview today – this time it was in Envigado.

I took screenshots of the US Embassy page that I click on and the result I get and emailed them back with an explanation that it doesn’t work on my laptop, my iPad, Laura’s laptop, her Samsung tablet or an internet café in Envigado.

I watched Abba: The Movie from 9-10:30 on Direct TV.  I like about half their music like Fernando, Waterloo and Mama Mia.

T-shirt of the day: Shut up and kiss me.

Wednesday, October 26th, 2016

I did my hour and 20 minutes at the health club.  It seems there are more people there every day.

I left the apt at 1pm and caught a bus after only waiting for a minute.  On the metro I saw a sign in one of the stations for starting your own business with Amway.

I was 20 minutes early when I was a block away from Dario’s store so I took the opportunity to go to the upper levels of the Aventura mall.  I saw that they have a 5-screen movie theatre but all the movies are probably dubbed in Spanish.

At Dario’s store we played our 2 games.  I had White in the first game and was attacking his king relentlessly but couldn’t find the moves to put him away and I eventually lost on time.  In the 2^nd game with the Black pieces he attacked my king and I lost on time probably just before he was going to checkmate me.

He informed me that he wouldn’t be available to play chess next Wednesday at the store but he said he has a brother who lives in the El Dorado neighborhood of Envigado and he invited me to play him there.  I told him I would call him.

Teresa and I walked down to her mother’s apartment where I was supposed to help her understand how to work a blender who’s instructions were in English.  The light is so bad in the apartment (one small overhead bulb) that it was difficult to read the instruction manual.  And there was no light over the appliance itself.  Talk about challenging.  I got it to work once but when I went to show them how it worked it wouldn’t start again – supposedly because the top wasn’t on correctly.  I did translate a couple buttons from English to Spanish for them.

While there, MT took my blood pressure with an automatic device and it registered as 134 over 70.

Laura went to the embassy website using both her laptop and her Samsung tablet and both gave her the same error as I’ve been getting.

On Direct TV I watched the Chicago Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians 5-1.  Now the games move on to Chicago where the Indians will have to win at least one game to return to Cleveland.

T-shirt of the day: I love me to the moon and back.

Tuesday, October 25th, 2016

I got up as usual about 8am.  I received another email from Yahoo:

Hi Terry, 

Someone attempted to sign in to your Yahoo account (terryandresen) from an app that doesn't meet Yahoo's security standards. We blocked this sign in attempt, which was made on: 

Tue, Oct 25, 2016 7:02 PM GMT+4 from Russia. 

I watched the first hour or more of the Today show.  Laura got up and had a sandwich for breakfast.  Go figure.  About 9:30 she walked me to a shoe repair shop at Calle 33B #43A-29 where I dropped off my gym shoe and the owner said it would be ready today at 3pm.

I walked with Laura a few blocks more towards the gym and then said goodbye and headed to the internet café.  There I went online to the US embassy and “click here” again resulted in the same error message.  Drats!  I’m going to check again later on Laura’s laptop.  While there I printed a copy of the Authorization for the Release of Information Under the Privacy Act form so I can request an official SS Benefits letter.

Back in the apt I filled out the form.  I heard that mail here often doesn’t get delivered unless it has a postal code on it.  I asked Teresa if she knew what it was and she said she didn’t.  I did an internet search and it appears there are different codes for different areas of Envigado.  I thought we were in one area but Teresa believes we are in another area.  Anyway, my area has two codes and I couldn’t find her area on the list at all.  I looked at our bills that are delivered each month and they don’t have a code on them either so maybe it isn’t that important.  A few minutes later I realized I left my USB drive at the internet café.  Drat, I hate when I do that.  I went back and it was closed.  It was 12:45 by then and she was probably closed for lunch.  When I got to the corner I saw I had 45 seconds or so before the pedestrian light would change to green so I took that opportunity to check out a few of the local stores.  There was a Bimbo (local brand of bread) store, a liquor store, a bakery and another store selling empanadas and other fried local snacks.  I saw a young man (twenties) with disheveled hair sitting alone.  He looked like a gringo so I asked him where he’s from.  He said he’s from here.  He said he knows he looks like a gringo but he’s Colombian.  I apologized and he asked what he could help me with.  I said I was going to ask if I could help him with something.  We both chuckled and I said goodbye.  Walking back to the apt I started to feel a little pain in my hip.  I know old people often experience hip problems which is why I hold back on those exercises that might aggravate it.

Back at the apt I took half an Exedrin Migraine tablet for my hip pain.  I also filled out the form for the embassy.  Teresa was ready to go to lunch.  Today she wants to go to the garage restaurant because she believes they are serving Bandeja Paisa – the typical Colombian meal.  Just as we were about to leave she realized that Laura would come back from the gym and she didn’t take her keys.  Luckily we only had to wait about 5 more minutes before she returned but it was obvious Teresa was mad at her for not taking her keys. 

On the walk down to the restaurant my hip was still a little sore.  On the way I saw 5 motorcycles with PM decals parked outside that VIP home that the soldiers regularly are guarding.  You might be able to figure out what PM stands for if I switch that to the English version – MP.  Yes, I believe they are military police.  At the restaurant Teresa found out that Monday is the day for the meal she was looking forward to.  Today we each got soup, salad, 2 good sized pieces of pork in a nice sauce, a dab of mashed potatoes, a glass of fresh juice and a small dessert that I’m pretty sure was rice pudding, all for 10,000 pesos (about $3.50).

On the walk back to the apt, about halfway up the hill, I stopped and started laughing.  Teresa asked me what’s going on.  I told her the pain in my hip is gone but now I have a pain in my hamstring.  Lol.

Back at the apt I took a 30-minute nap.  I left the apt and went back to the internet café.  The lady there gave me my memory drive and I asked if she wanted a tip (I don’t know the Spanish word for reward).  She said something about a man finding it so I guess she thought it was fairer if I tipped him.  The café was very busy so I left and walked a block away where I had my completed form scanned into a pdf file and put on my USB drive.

I walked a few more blocks to the shoe repair shop where I picked up my repaired shoe for 4,000 pesos (about $1.25).  That probably would have cost me $20 back in the States.  On the way back to the apt I ran into Teresa and her mother on their way to where she was going to get a pedicure.

Correction, tonight was the final of Desafio.

I watched a new episode of El Socio from 7 to 8pm and then World Series game 1 after that.  The Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago Cubs 5-0.

T-shirt of the day: Madness party.

Monday, October 24th, 2016

Teresa left the apt a little early so she could make the health club payment for the month – 41mil (about $14) per person.  I did my usual hour and fifteen minutes at the gym with Teresa and her mother.  My weigh-in today was at 67 ¾ kilos.  Today I noticed my right gym shoe is coming apart; the sole is separating from the rest of the shoe.  I think I recall catching it on a piece of sidewalk recently.

About 2pm in the apt we heard thunder and Teresa said we should leave early so we’ll be able to catch a taxi.  I changed clothes, we left the apt at 2:15 and walked a few blocks where we caught a taxi.  Again we had the driver drop us off at Carulla behind Oviedo.  First we went upstairs to the theatre, there was no line and we bought 2 tickets to the 3:15 showing of Inferno for 25mil (about $8.50).

Teresa thought there was a Fedco in this mall, she was looking for some special shampoo, but they didn’t have one so she window shopped a little.  At 3:05 we headed upstairs where I bought a medium popcorn, 2 medium sodas and a bag of some type of onion ring-like chips for her for 25,000 pesos.  In the theater we saw a coming attraction for another Tom Hanks movie A Hologram for the King (6.1).  (I saw later that it was released back in April.)  I had read the Dan Brown book Inferno some years ago but of course I don’t remember much of it.  The movie was good and by the way there were only about 8 other people in the theater.

After the movie we went across the street to Santafe mall where we quickly found the Fedco store.  I wandered around while Teresa was talking to a saleslady about some products and was pleasantly surprised to find the Arm & Hammer antiperspirant deodorant I used to buy at Walgreen’s back in the States.  It cost 14,300 pesos (about $5) probably close to twice as expensive as in the States but I love these personal products that I used to have.  (Before this I used Speed Stick which is pretty decent and most recently Dove for Men which I don’t really care for.)  At least this 26oz container is almost 50% larger than the others.

Teresa went into Zara to check out their sales and I looked at a display for some type of coffee maker that makes different kinds of lattes.  While waiting for Teresa come out I saw an attractive middle aged woman with a nice figure walk by.  With a waist that small I’m sure she’s had some work done.  Teresa soon came out and we took a taxi back to Envigado.

I understand tonight is the final episode of the latest Desafio (Challenge) show she watches each night at 8pm.

Laura doesn’t work until 3pm tomorrow so she said she would go with me to the shoe repair shop we visited last time.

I finally started eating some of the nacho chips I bought a week or more ago.  They’ve already started losing some of their freshness.

T-shirt of the day: Oh, you’re a prince, but I’m a queen.

Sunday, October 23rd, 2016

At 1pm it started raining but it only lasted about 20 minutes.

I watched some football on Direct TV’s NFL Red Zone.  It switches between each of the football games in progress and it’s in English.

Teresa told me Laura wants something from Santafe mall so we left a couple minutes earlier than planned – at 5:20 – for the 6:15 show at Oviedo.  We had to walk a couple blocks to catch a taxi.  I asked the driver if he knew the Carulla supermarket behind Oviedo and he said he did so I asked him to drop us off there.  He headed in the right direction I just had to stop him from turning too soon a couple times.  While the ladies did some window shopping at Bon Bonite I went upstairs to buy tickets for Inferno playing at 6:15.  I changed my mind when I saw the long line for tickets.

I told Teresa about that but said that the same movie is playing across the street at Santafe mall at 6:30.  We walked across the street and I left the ladies at Forever 21 while I went downstairs to buy another bottle of Ginkgo Biloba.  On the way I saw a Saint Bernard that was getting a lot of attention.  Today in the lobby they had a children’s forest with tall plastic trees and the ground is like a trampoline.  I was a little surprised that the price in Fedco was the same as El Tesoro - 68,000 pesos.

The ladies were waiting for me when I got back to the store.  They said they would go with me to buy tickets.  I led them to the elevator because I figured that was the quickest way to get to the theatre on the 5^th floor.  Teresa got on the elevator even though it showed it was going down and that’s when I learned that while there are 5 levels of stores, there are 6 levels of underground parking.

There was a short line for tickets but when it was our turn all that was available were 5 seats in the front row.  I didn’t go for that.  Teresa said no problem we’ll just come back tomorrow.  I told her only if it’s in the afternoon.

The ladies did some more shopping in Bershka.  Laura asked me if I would buy her a pair of boots for 200mil and she would give me 100mil when we got back to the apt and the other 100mil when she got paid for her job.  They cost 199,000 pesos (about $68) and came up over her knees.  I can’t understand why they would wear something like that in this warm weather but that’s fashion for you.

We stopped in J&C Delicias where we all had a very tasty dinner with fresh juice for 110,200 (about $38) including tip.  While sitting in the restaurant I observed a pretty young lady in the shortest skirt I’ve ever seen, going up on the escalator.  If it was any shorter it would be scarf.  Lol.  Have I mentioned that there are some good looking women here?

We caught a taxi back to the apt where Laura gave me the 100mil that she promised.

T-shirt of the day: Shoes speak louder than words.