Friday, May 13, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, and woke up at 6:30 got up at 7:15. The one time I got up was 5:30 in the morning when Teresa started snoring. Usually I just change my position or plump by pillow and she stops. This time I had to poke her, which she didn’t appreciate. Later, I had her clear off the guest bed so I could move there if it happens in the future so at least one of us could sleep through the night.

I can now see my purchase in my Charles Schwab account. Even though it’s late it’s nice that it shows the actual purchase date. I also see when I login to my account I can set it to go to my transaction history right away.

So, what’s next?

USAA charges a 1% foreign transaction fee for every withdrawal or purchase, Citibank charges 3% but Charles Schwab (CS) has no charge (actually there is a charge but I understand it’s reimbursed at the end of the month).

Currently, USAA serves as my checking account. I have my SS automatically deposited there and I use it for my day-to-day expenses during the month. My pensions are automatically deposited into my Citibank account and that serves as my savings account. (Unfortunately, a lot of my savings has been depleted after paying for my surgeries out-of-pocket.)

My new plan is to have CS serve as my checking account and USAA serve as my savings account and I’ll wean myself off Citibank completely. That means I’ll have to contact SS and have my deposits directed to CS and contact my pension companies and have those deposits directed to USAA. All future transactions should be with my CS debit card.

In the meantime, I’ll move my current USAA balance to CS and my Citibank balance to USAA.

 

I was never given the address to MT’s gated community so in the past whenever we’ve ordered a Didi I’ve requested to go to Metro Sur mall (where Wilson’s bar is) and we’ve just directed the driver the last block to MT’s apt. So, Wednesday when Teresa asked me to order a Didi for her the best I could do was have it pick her up at Metro Sur. She never made it there in time so Didi charged me 1,500 for failure to cancel the ride. They wanted me to add a credit card so they could withdraw the fee and blocked my use of the app until I do. (I wouldn’t mind paying the next driver the fee but I don’t want to give them my debit card information.) I chatted with a Didi rep this morning for 15 minutes in my broken Spanish and she eventually forgave my fee.

I left the apt at 9:30 and took a Didi to the mall. I picked up a Gente newspaper at Exito’s customer service desk. Baloto wasn’t open so I took the elevator up to the 2^nd floor (1^st time) where I found myself at the metro aisle halfway between Santa Leña and the metro exit. I walked to the other side of the floor where I paid the cellphone bills. Back on the other side I had coffee in Santa Leña for an hour. Back downstairs the Baloto system was still down so I just returned to the apt by taxi.

Teresa boiled water for some tea for me but then gave me the container of salt instead of sugar so we had to start over.

Teresa was invited to an event in the Cedimed store in El Tesoro tomorrow. It starts at 2pm and will last a couple hours. Add on a couple hours after that to return to the apt, just one reason I’m not going.

I started watching season 2 of the Jack Ryan series but halfway through the first episode I realized I’d already seen it.

Teresa suggested we go for pizza. Okay. Then it changed to empanadas then to patacones. I understand Esmeralda is coming to pick us up.

Esmeralda, with her mother, picked us up at 7:30 and took us to the spot across from Antica Pizza. I asked if Alejandro is studying or playing and Esmeralda said he’s working. Something about being the secretary for a professor.  Some of us had patacones with ground beef, others torta con queso, one of us both, and some had a Coke. The total came to 79mil ($20) and we were back at our apt by 9pm.

I ran out of my Joint Support tablets. I can’t believe I didn’t notice my supply was going down. Teresa told me Esmeralda has Fibromyalgia and I wonder if the Joint Support tablets would give her some relief.

 

 

Funny pix of the day

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, and woke/got up at 7am.

The purchase from the other day still hasn’t appeared in my CS account.

Yes! Finland announced their desire to join NATO. Yes!

Teresa told me her gf wants to have lunch with her today in Sabaneta so I’ll be on my own for my own lunch.

I left the apt at 8:30 and ordered a small latte while waiting for Glenn in Los Porteños. He soon showed up and ordered his usual croissant and tea. I finished my small coffee and ordered another with my usual croissant and scrambled eggs for 36mil ($9). Glenn is waiting to be scheduled for his own surgery, a Transurethral Resection of the Prostate or TURP in coming weeks.

I had a latte in Parva for about an hour.  I could hear jackhammers being used again in the street. I stopped at Eduardo Madrid where I bought a sleeve of 6 sesame seed bagels for 16,200 pesos ($4) before returning to the apt.

At 11:45, my Weather Channel app was predicting “thunderstorms in the area. Rain possible around 12:15pm.” Their diagram showed a possibility of heavy rain between about 1:45 and 3:30 so maybe I’d better get moving soon if I don’t want to get trapped in my apt. Visually it doesn’t look at all threatening looking toward the east.

I left the apt at noon and had a 15-minute wait for a Sabaneta bus. I got off at Parque de Los Presidentes and walked across the street. A block further, I turned left and it was just another block to Masaya. It looked like a nice hostel with a restaurant in front and large open café area in back. I found a waiter who spoke English to ask about their afternoon of Chess. It turned out it’s Tuesdays in addition to Mondays. I was happy to see the tables are large enough for my tournament chess set. He told me they supply the chess sets and when he showed me one it was a nice Staunton tournament-style chess set with a rollup board. One thing that confused me was the last thing he said is things get started at 3-4 in the afternoon.

I walked a block to Philly Steaks where I had their smash burger and a Coke for 30mil ($7.50).

Across from Parque Poblado I bought a package of 18 eggs in a neighborhood Exito for 16mil ($4).

Back on the other side of the street while waiting for a bus I saw a delivery robot named Kiwibot bump into the supports of the bus stop. It then backed up and a man behind it had to split his legs to keep it from hitting him. 😊

It was a short wait for a bus where I saw a young lady selling candy bars so I guess things are slowly returning to normal.

I got off 3 blocks from the apt and felt raindrops the last block. I returned to the apt just after 2pm – just in time. Thirty minutes later a drizzle started with lots of thunder.

Teresa returned at 4:30 and brought me a slice of carrot cake.

I’m trying to find the next series to watch – probably on MTV.

 

Funny pix of the day

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, and woke/got up at 6am.

Jack W.: Here’s a link to the Renault Twizy you sometimes see on the street here photo renault twizy - Search (bing.com)

I checked my CS account and the balance is less but I still don’t see the transactions. I looked around and finally found History, Transactions and then I could see my ATM withdrawal from yesterday but not the purchase. I guess that will come in later. I’m not used to transactions taking so long to appear, but I guess I’ll get used to it to save 1%.

Glenn has a doctor’s appointment this morning so instead we’ll meet up for breakfast tomorrow.

Teresa is going to the gym, then buy groceries with her mother with the plan to make lunch for MT in her apt so I’ll probably meet them there at 1pm if I want a free meal. 😊 Unless it’s raining since it will be too difficult to catch a taxi.

I left the apt at 8:30 and walked to Parva where I had coffee for a couple hours. It feels strange to be out without a facemask. I keep one in my tech bag in case of “emergencies”. I put one on in a taxi, bus, or entering a store to talk to salespeople. I found this map posted at one end of the road construction.

I bought two bags of milk on my way back to the apt.

I finally figured out how to setup a position in ChessBase 16: File, New, Position Setup.

Teresa called me at noon and suggested I get my butt to MT’s apt before it started raining. Good idea but as I walked out to my Didi ride it was already sprinkling. At MT’s apt I found they don’t have wifi and their chandelier is so dim I couldn’t read my book.

It’s probably only a 40-watt bulb but why would anyone buy a light fixture with so much hardware around it the light can’t get out?

After lunch, about 2pm, I walked the 2 blocks to the mall. I stopped in Starbucks where I bought a blueberry muffin for 7,500 pesos ($2). Not only is it big but it’s delicious. I took it up to Santa Leña where I enjoyed it with a latte.

Back outside the mall it was obvious we had gotten a little rain while I was inside.

I returned to the apt by taxi and as soon as I stepped inside I saw the milk I had forgotten to put in the refrigerator.

I watched Operation Mincemeat (6.8) on Netflix.

We had a little rain off and on in the afternoon. I’m beginning to sense a pattern here – I can only trust the mornings being rain free.

Teresa returned about 5:30 and I told her about the milk. The internet says milk should only be out 1-2 hours but the milk here might be different. We’ll see.

A portero dropped off our Tigo/Une wifi bill. Now I have everything I need to pay the mid-month bills, probably on Friday.

I reminded Teresa I’ll be having breakfast with Glenn tomorrow.

I finished James Patterson’s Mary Mary.

 

 

Funny pix of the day

Tuesday, May 10, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, fell asleep quickly, got up twice during the night, and woke/got up at 6:30am.

To Jack W.: I’ve never heard of a Smart Fortwo but here they have a tiny car called a Twizy by Renault.

I left the apt at 8:45 and WALKED to the mall. I used my new Charles Schwab (CS) debit card to make a withdrawal from a Davivienda ATM. I had a café con leche in Todo Fresa until Teresa joined me at 10:15 after her gym class. She had a small coffee and a bite to eat then we took a taxi to Mayorca mall. She shopped a number of the athletic stores (Adidas, Nike, New Balance, etc.) finally finding a pair of tennis shoes in Bosi which I paid for using my new CS debit card. Now I know that works.

We had lunch in J&C Delicias. I enjoyed my mixed (chicken and ground beef) lasagna but Teresa said her salmon was cold. The total bill, including my juice and tip was 76,154 ($19).

She did some more shopping then we bought some groceries in Exito.  We experienced a few raindrops while returning to the apt by taxi.

I finished watching the series Ozark and it didn’t disappoint.

I heard some thunder this afternoon although I could tell it was in the distance.

Teresa showed me a video of flooding in the Las Palmas area of Poblado today.

I checked my Charles Schwab account, but my transactions haven’t shown up yet. (With USAA they always showed up the same day.)

The portero dropped off our utility bill.

 

Funny pix of the day

Monday, May 9, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10:30, fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night at 4:30, and woke/got up at 7am.

Since my plan was to go to this Monday chess meetup

I had a light lunch of soup so I could leave on time for the 1pm meetup.

Even though the weather prediction was threatening

I left the apt at 1pm. I just missed a Sabaneta bus and it was about another 15 minutes for the next one. It took the same detour and by the time it returned to Avenida Poblado it was starting to rain. By the time we got to the Gold Mile it was a downpour with some hail and it was difficult to see where we were because the windows were fogged up. I stood up in the aisle near the exit and at the next stop the street looked like a running river. A man said something to the driver; I didn’t understand a word but I’m sure it was “get us closer to the curb so we don’t have to step in up to our ankles”. I got off with him and found myself by Davivienda bank. I went into Parmessano for coffee even though I was already soaked from just below the knees down. I called Teresa and told her I was going to try to get back. Ten minutes later I handed a waiter 10mil for my coffee and headed outside. The downpour had lessened considerably and I was able to cross the street. I quickly caught a taxi (lucky me) that took me all the way to the apt. My shoes, socks and bottom of my pants were soaked so I got out of them as quickly as possible and into something warmer. I’ll try for Chess Monday another week.

The irony is the rain stopped shortly after I returned to the apt and we didn’t have any more the remainder of the afternoon. It was all a case of bad timing.

Later, Teresa showed me a video on her cellphone of a flooded San Diego mall.

I checked Charles Schwab and the $500 transfer is there. 😊 Now to do a test withdrawal using the debit card if I can figure out where I put it. I found it after a 10-minute search.

We had a light shower early in the evening, enough to wet the streets.

 

 

Funny pix of the day

Sunday, May 8, 2022

Happy Mother’s Day!

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, took a while to fall asleep, got up once during the night, woke up at 6:15 and got up at 6:45.

So far it looks like it could be a beautiful day.

At 8am I started the process of ordering a Didi. My ride was only 3 minutes away and I arrived at Gloria’s Waffles by 8:20. It was still closed but there was a guy on a motorcycle waiting nearby. I checked online and found that Gloria’s Waffles is closed on Sundays. Why didn’t Glenn or I notice that. (Last night I couldn’t even find the website but I was looking for Vickie’s Waffles. 😊) Glenn soon arrived and we switched to plan B. We had the driver take us to the nearby Sweet Georgia’s Café. Glenn had French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon while I had a Waffle and bacon. (I should have had scrambled eggs instead of bacon.) We each had a large coffee and the total came to 46mil for me and 48mil for him. We called for separate rides back to Envigado.

I had a nap for an hour and 30 minutes.

Teresa and I left the apt at 2:15 with bags of things that Teresa would need to make lunch. We waited in the porteria for MT to arrive before I ordered a Didi. All of a sudden Teresa said, “the chicken is still in the refrigerator” and she ran back upstairs and retrieved it. She called her mother to see where she was but she didn’t answer. She called Wilson to discover that MT was waiting at her porteria for us to pick her up. I ordered a Didi and we went to her apt and picked her up. The driver took the highway then I guess he saw heavy traffic ahead and he crossed over to the other side of the river for awhile. We eventually arrived at her niece’s apt not far from the stadium.

We got on the second of two elevators but I couldn’t see the numbers on the elevator buttons so I started pushing them only to discover they were all even floors and we needed to get to the 15^th floor. We ended up getting off on 14 and walking up a floor.

(I confess to not having all of the names and relationships of our hosts straight.)

Ricardo took me downstairs to meet another gringo. His name was Warren and he was from Rhode Island. He is really into horse racing and was watching a race on his cellphone as we spoke. I mentioned yesterday’s 80-1 winner in the Kentucky Derby and he claimed he had a winning ticket. He correctly called the win and place and some other combination where he didn’t get the 3^rd place correct but still won big.

Back upstairs everyone was eating chicken pasta salad that Teresa had made. It’s unbelievable that their kitchen is smaller than ours and their table only seats four so I was in the second seating.

They had a friendly little dog that really liked having his ears scratched.

I played a couple games of chess with Ricardo and I won both.

We finally left at 8:15 and Catalina gave us all a ride back to Envigado in her comfortable Chevy.

After a number of straight losses my rating is down to 1564.

 

 

Funny pix of the day

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once during the night, and woke up at 6am. As I do most mornings, I made a trip to the bathroom, returned to bed, did my Kegel exercises, then tried to fall back asleep. Unlike most mornings, I fell back asleep, finally waking/getting up at 7:15.

I checked my Charles Schwab account, but I don’t see the $500 yet.

Teresa will soon be leaving to pick up some medicine at eps so I’ll be having granola for breakfast. Then she’s going to spend the day with MT getting their nails done. She called me a couple times worried that I would starve to death in the apt.

I left at 1:15 and took a Didi to the mall. It was packed, I guess because it’s Mother’s Day weekend. There were lines for the restaurants to I went to Santa Leña where I had an Italian croissant sandwich and a café con leche. This is how the sandwich looked on their menu followed by the real thing.

It was a little chilly being so near to the metro entrance, plus it was raining. For dessert I had a slice of carrot cake with another coffee. My check came to about 52,000 pesos ($13).

I went to Linea Estetica where I bought a bottle of AOX therapy that Teresa asked me to buy for her.

I stopped at Cine Colombia and it is now open for everyone. What do I mean by that? There used to be lines for 1) buying tickets, 2) showing your ticket to enter the main part of the theater, 3) showing your ticket to enter your specific theater. Now, number 2 is gone.

At the mall main entrance I saw a long line (an hour?) and it was still drizzling so I walked back to the apt. I was a little damp by the time I returned so I quickly changed clothes.

Good thing I didn’t go to Poblado to play chess at the outdoor bookstore. There is a meetup every Monday from 1-4pm at Masaya near Philly Steaks and I hope to give it a try.

Teresa returned at 6pm, by then the rain had stopped but she decided it was too cold and damp to go out for Mother’s Day dinner so we’ll do it another Saturday night.

We’re going to have lunch at her niece’s house tomorrow and I’m going to play chess with her uncle.

 

Funny pix of the day