Sunday, November 5, 2017

Last night I went to bed at 11pm, woke up once at 3:30, finally waking at 6:45 and getting up at 7:30.  I had a real crazy dream last night.  I almost never have (remember) dreams.

Well, I guess the US went thru their time change last night because I see the NFL games don’t start until 1pm today.

I started watching NFL Redzone starting at 1pm.

This is a bye week for my Chicago Bears.

Teresa went to give her mother some soup and when she came back we all left the apt at 3pm.  We walked down the hill where we met Wilson with MT.  We were fortunate to get a taxi that would take all 5 of us – usually the limit is 4.

We got off at Plaza Mayor and paid 29mil ($10) per person for general admission to Maridaje.  (The best translation I found for that was “pairing”.  I Googled it and found that it’s a “great gastronomic festival, a unique place where friends, food and drink gather together for 5 days”.  It started on November 2^nd and tomorrow is the last day.)  Plaza Mayor is an exhibit hall like McCormick Place in Chicago.  They have 5 or 6 exhibit halls filled with food and liquor (mostly wine, lots of wine) booths.  Everyone was hungry so we didn’t take a lot of time to find something.  I had hickory smoked ribs from Fernando Costillas World Famous BBQ Smoked Ribs which included some kind of unusual drink, Laura had a burger and fries, Teresa had salmon and Wilson had solomito (beef) that looked so rare I wasn’t sure the animal wasn’t still alive.  MT had a few bites of Teresa’s salmon and rice.

After I finished my delicious ribs I went to another stall where I had seen what looked like a large almond crescent roll.  While waiting in line I also saw what looked like carrot cake but I got a small apple pie, that I tried to share with everyone else, and my first Capuccino.

Afterwards I went exploring a bit.  I noticed Uber Eats signs on some of the food booths.  I talked briefly in English with a man selling Herrs snacks like potato chips that are imported from Pennsylvania.  He lives in Laureles near the apartment I had.

We finally left about 5:30 and I suggested we come back again tomorrow.  If we do I’ll try to take some photos.

I see the headlines “26 killed in church attack in Texas’ worst mass shooting”.  I guess that’s one more sacrifice to the god of guns.

Teresa told me she doesn’t want to return to Maridaje tomorrow so I’ll probably go see Geostorm playing at El Tesoro at 3:30pm.

These are the photos I, and the narcissist queen, took today.

Taken from our table at the end of the hall.

They have Calvin and Hobbes!

And Garfield!

The princess.

Both of us - that's me on the left.

I think this might be pointing out the coffee region in our department (state).

T-shirt of the day: Laundry today or naked tomorrow.

Saturday, November 4, 2017

Last night I went to bed at 11:30, got up every 2-3 hours finally waking/getting up at 7:45. 

I understood they took MT to the hospital last night.  Doctor’s were afraid of something wrong with her liver.  They finally returned her back to her apt and Teresa got to bed at 5am.  Laura stayed in Mt’s apartment for the rest of the night.

Teresa was tired so I told her not to worry about making me breakfast.

I left about 8:15 and had breakfast at Carbon de Lena.  After placing my order the waitress informed me that they had no coffee. “What?” I said, “how can you not have coffee?”  She told me they didn’t have coffee because they didn’t have water.

Afterwards I stopped at the paper store where I had a new copy of my letter to Experian printed.  I then went to Coltrafa where I waited in line for 15 minutest to pay the epm bill.

About 10:30 I walked down the hill to Exito where I exchanged the underwear I bought.  I bought size 32 and I need size 34.  At first they told me they don’t exchange underwear but I showed them that it wasn’t worn and after 15 minutes they gave me a gift card.  I simply went back inside the store and picked up size 34 and paid for it all with the card.

On my way back to the apt I stopped at a small hardware store where I bought plastic colored thingees to put on Teresa’s keys so she can more easily keep track of what each key is for.

Teresa told me that Deli Hoy isn’t open on Saturdays.

I met Chuck at the park at 12:15.  We had coffee and after awhile I saw Ron, the black guy from Washington DC that I met at the gym, and called him over.  I hadn’t seen him in a few weeks and now I understand he has made the move permanently here and is temporarily staying with his friend Charles.  As usual he had lots of questions for me.  I was shocked to learn he’s 71 years old – I thought he was in his 40s.

Something under construction in the park.

We ended up having lunch at Carbon de Lena.

About 4:30 we had to say goodbye to Chuck as he has some final things to take care of before leaving tonight.  They have a 1pm flight out of Rionegro, followed by a 4 hour layover in Fort Lauderdale before landing in New Orleans tomorrow morning.  His wife, Darnelle, wants to live in the US but Chuck wants to live in Envigado.  But she doesn’t speak English, doesn’t drive, doesn’t have US citizenship, needs to be near a hospital, etc. so he thinks he’s convinced her to retire here.  They will put their house up for sale and he expects they will be back in February.

The Colombian Peso closed at 3,035 to the US Dollar.

I understand now that Uber Eats is a meal delivery program. 

We all watched Kidnap (6.0) using some site Laura found on the internet.

We all went to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: Option 1 is me.

Friday, November 3, 2017

Last night I went to bed at 11pm, fell asleep quickly and didn’t wake up until 5:30.  I couldn’t get back to sleep so I finally got up at 7:30.  My new melatonin procedure seems to be working; I’m falling asleep quicker and sleeping sounder.  Thanks Chuck and Paul for all your advice.

Among new US movie releases there isn’t anything I want to see.  Locally, Geostorm is playing at El Tesoro in 3D at 3:25.

I wrote a letter to Experian.  Chuck heads back to the States tomorrow night and I hope he can take it with him to put in an envelope and mail to their POB in Texas.

I watched the first 45 minutes of the Today show and headed to the gym.  I picked up a free copy of adn newspaper.  Articles included:

·       Challenges Medellin faces on its 342^nd birthday.

·       A full page advertisement for the new Motorola moto g5s cellphone.

·       Anti-corruption fight over the FARC banner.

·       A full page ad for UBER eats.  (Whatever that is.)

·       Warning about risks for the coming winter.

·       Responses to flooding.

·       The most anticipated iPhone.

·       The DIM (Medellin’s 2^nd football team) is out of the eight (probably lost in the quarterfinals).

Going into the gym and coming out I saw a group of people standing around blocking one of the streets.  There was a fire truck ambulance standing by but I couldn’t see what was going on.

I did all my exercises except the leg press in 55 minutes.

After lunch Teresa went for one of her massages and I made a withdrawal from the ATM and went to $efecty to pay the epm and Direct TV bills.  Inside I saw a makeshift sign that said they are not taking payments for epm or Une so I just paid the Direct TV bill.  

Walking down the street I noticed muffins in one of the bakeries.  I bought one not knowing exactly what type it was.  I met Chuck and Darnelle at the park.  We had coffee while Darnelle went to get a manicure.  Later Chuck and I went to the bakery down the street where I had café con leche with my muffin.  It turned out to be a very good blueberry muffin.  Even Chuck was impressed with how good it was.

Soon after we arrived it started raining pretty hard.  Eventually everyone that had been sitting outside ended up standing inside the bakery.  When it finally settled down (20 minutes later?) we walked over to the paper store where I had copies made of my driver’s license, passport and an epm utility bill.  I also had printed a letter I wrote to Experian detailing my particular circumstances and requesting a freeze on my account.  Chuck said he will take it with him tomorrow and mail it to Texas for me.

We’re going to meet at Bartolos tomorrow about noon or 12:30 and then go to Deli Hoy for lunch.

I stopped at Exito and bought some tomatoes and a package of sandwich bread.

Next to the corner store I thought a house was being remodeled but now I see they turned the front part of the house into a small restaurant.  Colombia, what a country!

Teresa got a call and I understand she will now be visiting the finca tomorrow at 2pm instead of early in the morning.

She got another call about 9:30.  I understand her mother is feeling poorly again so she and Laura went down to visit with her.

At 10pm I took my melatonin tablets as usual but 10 minutes later I found Cast Away on a Direct TV channel.  At 11:30 I decided that was enough and took my sleeping pills and went to bed.

T-shirt of the day: I speak fluent sarcasm.

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Last night I went to bed at 11:40, fell asleep quickly and didn’t wake up until 5am.  I fell back asleep, woke up at 7am and got up at 7:15.

I had breakfast at Carbon de Leña – beans, rice, scrambled eggs and an arepa with cheese.

I stopped at Gana and added 50mil to Teresa’s cellphone.  On the way back to the apt I bought 2 bags of milk from the corner store.

I watched the first hour of the Today show.  I hadn’t heard anything from Chuck so I guess I’ll be on my own.  (I did change my plans however.)  Closing the drapes I noticed a Metro Bus going by which means I’d have to walk down to the metro.  I locked up and stepped outside, looked down the street and saw another Metro bus heading my way.  I took it to the metro and got off at the Floresta station.  I walked the 4 blocks to The Town barbershop where I got a haircut in record time – 20 minutes.  I think he forgot to leave it long on top.  They do like to cut hair short here.  The barber told me his name was Luis.

I walked to El Viejo y El Pancake where I had an omelet with sausage and a mango juice.  I thanked the Mrs. (aka the waitress) for giving me the referral for the steakhouse El Chaparral.  She gave me another lead on a good burger (with onion rings) restaurant called La Pampa at Circular 4 & Carrera 74.  

Interestingly, I was going that anyway.  I asked her about Thanksgiving dinner and she said they would be doing it again this year (with more turkeys than last year) but a day or two before or after the actual holiday.  I understand I should look for details on Facebook.

I stopped briefly at SaludPan, a vegan restaurant, at Circular 4 #70-78 and noted the fresh bread they sell.  I walked an additional 4 blocks to La Pampa and saw burgers on their menu but I didn’t notice onion rings.  It’s at the end of Avenida Nutibara 4 blocks south of Calle 44 right by an Esso gas station.

I walked back to Calle 44 & Avenida 70 where I checked out a bicycle.  I rode back to Estacion Estadio and checked in the bike.

I took the metro to Estacion Poblado and took a metro bus up to Vizcaya mall.  I bought a general admission ticket to Jigsaw (6.2).  

I chatted with the ticket girl for a bit as she asked about some words in English.  She also complimented me on my white hair.  (I kiddingly told her I dye it monthly.)  My ticket was only 5mil ($1.70).  I bought a small popcorn and medium soda for 14,300 ($5).  I was the only one in the theater so I could have sat anywhere I wanted.  The movie was as gruesome as expected.

When I exited the movie theater I noticed the TelePerformance (telemarketing?) business is now taking up half the floor space on 2 floors.  Downstairs on the 2^nd floor I saw a number of dress shops one of which is called Blanco (white) that advertises it rents dresses.  I guess this is where I’ll be coming with Teresa.

As soon as I stepped outside I found it was raining even though the sun was shining.  Luckily I had my portable umbrella with me so it didn’t delay my walk downhill.

At Envios Market I received 2 packages and an envelope.  One package was my Nook and the other was my new tech bag.  The envelope was from Experian informing me that “the address you provided has never been reported to us.  To assist you, we must verify your current mailing address.  Please provide the following:

·       One copy of a government issued identification card, such as a driver’s license, state ID card, etc. displaying your current address, and

·       One copy of a current utility bill, bank or insurance statement, etc.

Please also include the following identification information:

·       Your full name including middle initial

·       Social Security Number

·       Date of birth

·       Complete addresses for the past two years.”

I see they aren’t going to make it easy for me to freeze my account.

I told Nobraskja that I wanted to pay for my November rent.  She printed out a bill that included September rent and what was an approximate weight overage of 42,160.16.  After I explained I already paid September’s rent she checked and agreed and recalculated my overage to 47,900.  I paid that in cash and then we both forgot about paying for November’s rent.

Outside it had stopped raining and I quickly caught a bus back to Envigado and was back at the apt by 5:15.

Finally I had to admit to Teresa that I lost my tech bag with Nook 2 weeks ago when I was riding my bicycle.

Teresa told me: the doctor returned in the afternoon, they gave her mother some medicine, she has stopped throwing up and is feeling much better.

I watched some Thursday Night Football.

T-shirt of the day: I don’t need Google.  I have a wife that knows everything.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Well, it’s a new month – time to pay the bills.

Last night I fell asleep quickly and didn’t awaken until 5am.  I fell back asleep finally waking at 7:30 and getting up at 7:45.

Teresa left for the gym so I just had cereal for breakfast.

I watched the first 45 minutes of the Today show and then headed to the gym where I did all my lower body exercises in 55 minutes.

Back at the apt after my shower Teresa still hadn’t returned from her mother’s apt so I left her a note, went to the bank and paid for the apartment and my health insurance.

We arrived back at the apt at the same time.  She told me not to meet with Chuck today as we’re going to Vizcaya to get fitted for clothes for the wedding.

Laura told me my Isoklon refills should arrive by mail approximately next Tuesday.  I understand I no longer get 1 for 1 replacements; probably more like 1 for 2 or 1 for 3.

After lunch Teresa told me she was tired so we both took a nap.  I got up an hour later and she an hour and 30 minutes later.  After a few minutes she told me we have 6 weeks until the wedding so there’s no hurry renting clothes so I can meet with Chuck.  So just before 4pm I Whatsapp’d chuck and left the apt.  At the park I had a café con leche and took these photos of men working on putting up Christmas decorations. 

Heads up!

Chuck never showed up so I guess he was busy elsewhere.

At 5pm I walked over to a bookstore where I bought Clive Cussler’s Lost City in paperback for 9mil.  At Todo Drogas I bought my prostate medication for 116,500, a bottle of magnesium for 12,500 and a “sheet” of vitamin C with Zinc (cherry flavor) lozenges for 3,500.

I stopped at the flower shop and bought a bunch for 6mil ($2) as some of the flowers from the previous bunch are starting to die already.

Tomorrow Teresa has to go to the finca to do some more work so I gave her 300mil for supplies & labor plus another 20mil for bus fare.

I emailed Chuck with my plans for tomorrow – haircut in Estadio and lunch nearby – and invited him to join me.

I took my melatonin at 10pm and at 10:10 Teresa received a call from Wilson that their mother was sick.  We walked down to her apt and when we arrived Martha was there and a doctor was looking at her.  I understood she has been vomiting and they are trying to get that under control.  (When we were entering the building property I had noticed a car with “emi” painted on the side.)  Teresa told me it was important that I get an affiliation with “emi” so I can have a doctor come to our apartment when I am sick.)  She said it only costs something like 35mil a month.  Sounds like a good idea to me.

Teresa said she would stay with her mother overnight because Wilson needs his sleep in order to work tomorrow and she would be postponing her trip to the finca.  Laura and I left at 11:20 and when I got back to the apt I took my sleeping pills and went to bed at 11:40.

T-shirt of the day: Fire withing (sic) me.

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Happy Halloween!

Last night I fell asleep quickly and though I got up 3 times during the night I fell back asleep quickly finally waking/getting up at 7:45am.

Yesterday Teresa told me she lost her keys in Exito so after watching the first hour of the Today show I walked down the hill and dropped off my keys at a small hardware store to have copies made.  In the meantime I walked over to Exito looking for a large (500gm) package of granola.  They didn’t have it so I used my limited cash to buy a pair of socks and a package of underwear.  For the first time I saw a display of small Ty stuffed toys.  They didn’t look exactly like the beanie babies I remember but they were very similar.

I stopped at a Citibank ATM and got 800mil for which to help pay for the apartment rental and my health insurance tomorrow.  

Unfortunately it gave me all the cash in 20mil bills. 

I picked up my keys and walked back up to the apt.

After lunch Teresa came back I made a quick trip to the ATM.  On the way I saw a makeshift table set up with a sign that said Hot Dog’s.  I wonder what that was about.

Back at the apt Teresa told me she made a mistake – her massage appointment is for 4pm and not 2pm.  Sigh!

On the way to the park I saw the same table with hotdogs on a stick and business cards on the table that said “Hot-Dog’s Waffles”.  The hotdogs were surrounded by waffle, kind of like a corndog.

I met Chuck at the park at 1:30.  I’ve often said that if you sit here long enough someone will come by selling everything you need.  A woman came by and for 5,000 pesos took my blood pressure.  It was 110 over 86 which she said was normal.  It rained hard for about 30 minutes.  Soon Doug joined us.  We had coffee there and then a stage was set up and the music got quite loud so we moved across the street to the bakery.  I took some photos of children and adults in Halloween costume. 

This Chuck.  I was trying to get the flash to work on my cellphone.

 This is Doug the Canadian.

A lady outside city hall.

 Mickey Mouse was posing for photos outside city hall.

 Cat ladies with ghost outside city hall.

 Looking inside a small bakery where we sometimes stop for coffee and pastries

Entertainment in the park.

A dog dressed up like a nurse.

Mario and Luigi.

We moved back to the park proper and there was entertainment on the stage.  I took some more photos with my cellphone and even a little video.  Doug explained why Canadians commonly say “eh” at the end of their sentences.  He said it’s because Canada is spelled C eh N eh D eh.  Lol.  Chuck was going to show me a model apartment but he couldn’t find the building.  Lol.

Back at the apt I called Margarita Montes in Miami and Teresa talked to her for awhile about selling the finca.

About 9:15 Teresa and Laura both called for me to come to the window quickly.  Outside there were dozens of bicycle riders in some sort of a parade.

Esmeralda told Teresa that melatonin is good for sleeping so she asked for a tablet – I gave her half.

About 10:15 we heard a lot of car horns outside so we looked outside and saw a parade of cars – most decorated with what looked like spider webs.  A couple of them had teenagers hanging out of the windows.

We went to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: I’m much more interesting on the internet.

Monday, October 30, 2017

Last night I fell asleep quickly and though I got up 3 times during the night I fell back asleep quickly finally waking/getting up at 8am.

On the way to the gym I noticed the side streets are still closed off for hanging Christmas decorations.  Also I could see the construction workers were taking advantage of Calle 37 Sur being closed as they now have the intersection with Avenida Poblado torn up.  I imagine that southbound intersection will be closed for some time now.  I did my lower body exercises in 55 minutes.  This is the last week I plan on resting my left shoulder and elbow.  Next week I’ll start working my upper body again, just with lower weights.

Back at the apt Teresa wasn’t there so I took my shower and went to the bank for my last cash for the month.  For the first time all my bills – 20s and 50s – were in the new format.

Back at the apt Teresa called me, told me she was at her mother’s apt, and would be back soon.

Esmeralda came by for lunch (she brought her own lunch) to pick up the umbrella she forgot last week.  While here she asked me if I could order some vitamins for her from the states.  She showed me a photo on her cell phone – they are Bayer one-a-day vitamins for women.  I found them on vitacost.com for about $12 for 100 tablets.  I explained I don’t know how much it would cost for shipping, I didn’t have any cash today and I would need to know how many bottles she wanted.

After lunch I met Chuck in the park at 2pm.  I left at 3:20 and quickly caught a taxi to El Tesoro mall.  The taxi driver was very talkative asking me lots of questions.  With my limited Spanish I tried to answer all of them.

I arrived 10 minutes early so I stopped at a couple stores to see if I could find the vitamins Esmeralda was looking for.  No luck!  I got 2 more restorations done on my lower teeth; only one more to go.  

My next appointment is Wednesday, November 15^th at 3pm.  I stopped at the Carulla pharmacy but they didn’t have the vitamins either.  Outside I quickly caught a taxi but traffic was horrible and it took an hour to get back to the apt.

I watched some Monday Night Football while Teresa was at the gym.

Teresa told me tomorrow she wants me to go with her to her massage appointment at 2pm and after we will go to a store in Vizcaya mall to see about renting a suit for me and a dress for her for the wedding.

At 11pm I went to bed after the usual preparation.

T-shirt of the day: Up all night.  Got demons to fight.