Friday, December 15, 2023

 Last night I went to bed at 9:30pm, got up once at 4:45 (slept through the night), finally giving up falling back asleep and getting up at 5:30.

I completed my Smartfit workout between 8am and 9am. By 9:30 I was sitting on Los Porteños patio having a latte. I continued studying my Dutch defense book. I left at 10:45 and returned to the apt.

I called USPS as it’s been 9 days since I submitted a Service Request for my missing package. After a 20 minute wait the rep gave me another number to call. She gave me another number and a name but when I called no one answered. ☹

Teresa read that 8 people in Cali died when their cellphone charger exploded overnight so now I can’t charge my cellphone overnight. ☹

I tried again after lunch but still no answer.

I left at 1:30 and had a latte in Eduardo Madrid Panaderia. I left at 4:30 with a sleeve of 6 sesame seed bagels, picked up a couple laundry products in Ara and returned to the apt.

I received an email from Play Magnus notifying me of this month’s payment which allowed me to cancel my subscription but it won’t be effective until January 15^th.

I set up a monthly subscription with Aimchess for $7.99.

I ordered Christmas presents for my son and daughter.

I watched another episode of the Pablo Escobar series.

 

CHOOSING A CHILD FREE LIFE

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 9:45pm, got up once at 1:15, again at 5:15, finally waking/getting up at 6:45.

I left the apt at 8:15 and walked to the mall (still leaking). It looks like they are nearing completion of the construction on the corner.

I recycled a few bottles in the lower level.

I tried to make a withdrawal at the Davivienda ATM but it was out of order. I even tried the Banco de Bogota ATM but it wasn’t allowing withdrawals. I had to go up to the 2^nd floor of the main mall where I had no problem withdrawing 2 million pesos.

Back downstairs in Exito I quickly paid the epm utility bill (no line).

I dropped off the old bank envelope that used to be my mother’s for repair in La Sasteria. It will be ready by next Wednesday and the charge is 14mil.

Back in the mall I stopped in Home Center where I checked out the Illuminacion (lighting) aisle. On my way down the aisle I noticed a HC worker helping another customer. I looked at Accuweather on my phone and when I looked up the customer was heading my way with no worker in sight. I looked up and down nearby aisles but no luck. I found someone in a back aisle of the store where I asked for help in the lighting aisle and she called someone. I led the girl around the corner to similar light fixtures and showed her the photo of the lighting in our ceiling. She called another guy and he was showing me a complete kit with lightbulb. Using my translator I asked how do I remove it? After he showed me I understand it’s similar to those I’m accustomed to in the States. I just need a flathead screwdriver (a butter knife will probably do) to pull the fixture away from the ceiling and unhook it. We’ll see. I went to the fan area and a girl showed me this tower fan

for 409,900 pesos ($103). It’s probably the most expensive fan in the store. 😊 I told her I have to return with my Colombian wife to check it out.

I was a little surprised Claro wasn’t open yet. Downstairs I had a latte in Urbania while going through my Dutch defense book.

Teresa called at 11am and asked me to pick up lechuga morado (purple lettuce), tomatoes, and broccoli. I also picked up apples, a few ripe bananas and 2 packages of microwave popcorn.

I noticed this display in Exito

Now I understand Teresa wasn’t saying “Nutella” she was saying “Natilla”.

I stopped at a booth upstairs and showed him my battery and my cellphone and he handed me a cable which looks exactly like the cable I already have. I told the guy I need to think about it.

I quickly found a taxi outside Exito and returned to the apt.

I’m planning on seeing Silent Night (5.8) at 3:50 pm. One reason for that title is I understand there is almost no dialogue, just action. It stars Joel Kinnaman from The Killing.

I told Teresa about the fan and of course she thought the price was outrageous. She suggests we check out Pricesmart, not a bad idea.

I see now the cable I bought last week IS the correct cable for this battery. I connected the battery to my cellphone using the new cable and it’s charging quickly. 😊

Tonight Teresa is going to meet up with Esmeralda somewhere.

I left the apt at 2:45 and took a Didi to the mall. I bought a preferred seat to the 3:50 showing of Silent Night (5.8) for 17,700 pesos. I took a seat but struggled to get an internet connection. I made my last trip to the restroom then got in a line with only 1 person in front of me but he must have taken 10 minutes for him to complete his order. I bought a Cine Combito for 18,800 pesos and took my seat in the theater. The Coke tasted like diet instead of original flavor and the popcorn tasted plain without any salt on it. ☹

The movie was interesting as there was no dialogue (but lots of action), at most 6 words were spoken in the entire movie.

I returned to the apt by taxi and Teresa was still out. She returned by 8:30 and told me how great Antonio’s Gelato is. She’ll go with Esmeralda but not with me because “it’s too sweet or too fattening”. ☹

 

CHOOSING A CHILD FREE LIFE

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 9:30pm, started by laying on my stomach because my back was so wet, without a sheet because it was still so warm, finally waking/getting up at 6:15. Yes, I slept through the night.

I forgot to mention yesterday I was walking through Unicentro and a man came out of a store (like 10’ away) and crossed right in front of me. He would have gotten stepped on if I hadn’t slowed down. What is it with Colombians and their lack of spatial awareness?

In Smartfit I completed my workout from 8am and 9am. By 9:30 I was sitting in Los Porteños enjoying my latte.

I received an email from Gisela that my package (Kindle) has arrived in Bogota. I hope it arrives here before we leave for Christmas vacation.

The café next door must do a lot of deliveries as for the 2^nd time this morning I saw a man wheeling out cases of cookies.

I stopped at Pepo’s O’Cake and bought a medium strawberry cake for 28mil ($7).

Passing by Tienda D1 the young parking guy said “Hey mister” and then “Good morning” so I guess all is good.

I contacted Bryan to pick us up at noon on December 23^rd and we’ll stop for lunch at the restaurant Parador Rancho Alegre which is our usual almojabana stop on the other side of the tunnel.

I scheduled a haircut with Daniel for 9am Thursday, December 21^st.

I had Teresa call Dr. Milton for an appointment but his next available is the 23^rd or 24^th of January. ☹ Doctora Cristina Uribe better not cancel my January 9^th appointment…again.

We had a nice lunch with Marcos and Johanna in their apartment from 2 to 5pm. Teresa said we can reciprocate after Wilson cleans our windows.

 

CHOOSING A CHILD FREE LIFE

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

 Last night I went to bed at 9:45pm, got up once at 1:15, again at 4:45, couldn’t fall back asleep, finally getting up at 5:30.

I left the apt at 7:30 and took a Didi to Unicentro mall. Jose soon arrived. For breakfast I had Parmessano’s French toast with a side order of scrambled eggs and a latte for 36,204 pesos ($9). Jose had the same.

I had the Black pieces in the first game and at one point when he should have been aggressive, he got defensive and I checkmated him on the 26^th move.

I had the White pieces in the second game and he resigned on the 62^nd move when I queened a pawn in the endgame with King, Rook, and Pawn vs King and Rook. He complimented me on my play especially how quickly and efficiently I played. We finished at 3pm which is better than the 4pm like last time.

I had a Cesar salad with chicken and a mango juice in J&C Delicias.

I bought a small carton of eggs and a bag of milk and quickly caught a taxi outside. In heavy traffic most of the way, I tipped the driver 3mil on a 22mil fare.

When I returned, Teresa had my 90mil parking fee for December.

My rash is back: on my back, back of my arm, and my thigh. ☹

The portero stopped by with our epm utility bill of 359,500 pesos ($90).

Just before I went to bed I had Teresa spray some Atoderm SOS spray to relieve the itching on my back so I could sleep.

 

CHOOSING A CHILD FREE LIFE

Monday, December 11, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm (took maybe 30 minutes to fall asleep), got up once at 4:15, finally waking/getting up at 7am.

I forgot to mention yesterday that Glenn heard that IKEA is open now. I googled it and it still sounds like it won’t be open until 2^nd “semester” of 2024.

I completed my usual workout in Smartift from 8:15 to 9:13, today increasing the treadmill speed from 4.5 km/hr to 5km/hr.

Los Porteños was uncharacteristically busy today but I still managed to find a table outside. I have a game with Troyclough that’s probably a draw but I’m going to proceed to see if I might be able to turn it into a win.

I left at 11:30 and returned to the apt.

Teresa has a friend in Clinica Las Americas so we’re going to make a trip there this afternoon. It’s 88 degrees today so Teresa suggested we wait until 4pm to leave when it’s a little cooler.

About 3pm a young girl came to our door selling little boxes containing “end of year” stuff for 25mil. We bought one.

At 4:20 we took a Didi to Clinica Las Americas for 10,500 pesos.

Teresa went into the clinic and I noticed a pharmacy attached to the building so I bought another container of Dermacortine for 146,500 pesos ($37), a little expensive.

In De Lolita I had a latte and finished a game vs Troyclough. On the 39^th move it looked like a draw but I texted him I was going to try for a win. About 6 moves later I offered him a draw which he declined. Two moves later he blundered and resigned on his next move. My rating is now 1583.

Teresa came out about 6:30 and we shared a polito de queso and she had a latte. At 7pm I checked Didi and they wanted 20,500 pesos for a ride back to the apt. I waited 25 more minutes more and it was reduced to 10,500 pesos which I accepted. Traffic was still heavy especially the first few blocks near the clinic.

We were back at the apt by 8pm.

I received an email from Hotel Villa Alicia asking me to confirm our reservation. I did and asked if they have any special menu or shows for Christmas Eve.

I finished reading Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef. I don’t remember reading a book before that after the book there was an Epilogue, a Postscript, and an Afterward. That was followed by The Players, Glossary, Timeline, Endnotes, and finally The Authors.

 

CHOOSING A CHILD FREE LIFE

Sunday, December 10, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up at 6:30.

I left the apt at 8:30 and walked with Ciclovia to La Frontera mall where I made an ATM withdrawal. Across the street I met Glenn with Bianca in Olivenza. I started with an almond croissant and a latte. Later I had the calentao with scrambled eggs and another latte. Glenn has doctor’s appointments this week with a cardiologist and an eye doctor.

I returned to the apt noticing the Otra Parte patio was open.

During the Bears game I finished, one by one, the remaining 4 slices of sausage pizza, heating them in the microwave. For the last quarter I had microwave popcorn with a small Coke. The Bears defeated the Lions 28-13. If they can stay relatively healthy, I think they’ll win a few more games before finishing out the season.

About 5:15 our power went out while my cellphone was recharging and I was on the recliner doing my TENS exercise. I soon fell asleep and woke up at 6pm when Teresa knocked on the door. As I got up to answer it the power came back on. 😊 Talk about timing!

I watched the end of the Bills vs Chiefs game waiting for 60 Minutes to start but when it did there wasn’t anything I was interested in.

I watched the movie Greyhound again on MTV.

Teresa brought me a salad which I had for supper.

 

CHOOSING A CHILD FREE LIFE

Saturday, December 9, 2023

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once during the night, finally waking/getting up at 6:45.

The problem with the Ice maker appears to be the chute. I cleared it by chipping away at it with a butter knife and removing the cubes and frost. I put the Ice Maker back on the freezer door and turned it back on.

I left the apt at 9:30 and took a Didi to Monterrey mall. I went straight to local 147 where I bought a cable lock for my laptop for 40mil. I just hope it works; I’ll check it tonight. I asked about a USB-C cable for our battery but the one she showed me didn’t seat completely in my cellphone so I declined. Next door at local 146 I found a cable that seated perfectly, even if it’s a meter long, for 25mil.

Across the street I caught a Sabaneta bus and got off at EAFIT, the university. Across the street I went up a level to a café I’ve been wanting to try, called Rica Mina Café, which I think translates to Rich Mine Café.

AA RICH MINE CAFÉ VIDEO

I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS VIDEO ISN'T COMING THROUGH, MAYBE LATER

I ordered a latte and a glass of ice water. When he brought it, I asked for the Wi-Fi password. He informed me their internet isn’t working now but I had him put it in my cellphone anyway for the future.

Since I was the only one there, between his English and my Spanish I suggested they are much busier during the week from the EAFIT students. I learned, 1) they get busy after 3pm from students from an elementary school & high school just up the hill, 2) right now the students are all on vacation until January 15^th.

Even without their internet I couldn’t get a connection from my Claro plan. I’ve had occasional blackouts for some reason.

I finished my latte, returned to EAFIT and caught an Envigado bus. I got off across from Mercado Madrid.

Walking across Ave Las Vegas I thought I heard a man say, “tienes una cara bonita” 😊 and I returned to the apt.

Teresa was about to leave to meet Esmeralda at Ayura station so she borrowed my Civica (metro) card.

Oh shit, I just realized the cable I need for the battery is a USB-A (male battery port) to a USB-C (male cellphone port). ☹

I tried the Ice Maker and only 1 cube came out on the Cubed Ice setting and nothing happened in the Crushed Ice setting. I checked and there’s almost no ice in the ice storage compartment so I guess I have to be patient.

I left the apt at 12:30 and sat in La Buena Mesa

for a bit hoping to get hungry. In the video I was sitting in front of Barbacoa where Black Pepper was behind my left shoulder.

I saw Danny in Na Pizza

and gifted him the pizza hat from my brother. I told him I wouldn’t be mad if he wanted to gift it to his pizza chef but he told me he’s going to put it over the bar.

I ordered the Na Pizza item on their menu and was surprised it came with some type of ham on top. When I picked up the 2^nd slice I noticed a piece of plastic attached to it. I showed it to Danny, he apologized and ordered me a fresh pizza. This time I asked for it with Italian sausage. I ate half of that with a couple Cokes and Danny nicely picked up the check.

I left at 3pm, confirmed the old Tienda D1 is still open, Love In Waffles across the street is gutted, and returned to the apt.

The Ice Maker is back in business again. To be proactive, I should probably clean the ice chute every six months.

I paused watching Pablo Escobar for a new Netflix Movie Leave the World Behind (6.7). That wasn’t worth it, talk about a non-ending.

Teresa called at 6:15 and asked me to meet her in the porteria so we can go for patacones. I changed clothes and got there a minute before she arrived in a taxi. The driver told Teresa he knows Envigado but he took us a few blocks out of our way because he didn’t listen to my directions.

We had our patacones, bought pastries for the portero and returned to the apt by taxi.

Teresa got all her paint supplies in El Hueco today with Esmeralda. She informed me she’s going to mass in San Pelegrino again tomorrow, perhaps with Esmeralda.

 

CHOOSING A CHILD FREE LIFE