Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once during the night, again at 5:30, finally getting up at 6am.

I have to wait until Ara opens at 8am to buy milk, then Teresa can make breakfast, then I have to wait an hour before I can go to the gym for my workout.

Troyclough is back and we’ve started a new game where I have the Black pieces.

I watched Anna Cramling playing round 4 in the Madrid Chess Festival on Chess.com. This round apparently started at 7am Colombian time. She lost her first 3 games against players rated 200 points higher than her 2060 rating but today she has Black against a player rated 1803. (I think I heard later that she won this game and the previous one.)

Just after 7:30 Teresa informed me that Ara opens at 7am. I left right away and bought 2 bags of milk and a dustpan with handle for about 12mil.

Anna was studying a position for 30 minutes without making a move. It was still 20 minutes before 9am so I decided to rest on the recliner. Next thing I know I look at the clock and it’s 9:18 and Teresa was heading out to her gym class.

I grabbed my stuff (cellphone, little notebook, and water bottle) and headed to Smartfit. I completed my workout (down 10#) again with another 7 minutes on the treadmill.

I went to Los Porteños where I had a latte while doing my daily tactics on Aimchess.

I left at 11am and had our (Jose and mine) weekly chess notes printed at the Bancolombia window on my way back to the apt.

Anna Cramling is playing again; this must be their night game. She’s playing a 10-year-old boy rated 1997.

I see the currency exchange rate has reached 4,000 pesos to the Dollar. 😊

I left the apt at 1:45 and took a Didi to the mall. I recycled a large glass bottle then went into Home Center. I found what looks like the equivalent of superglue and the only Belgium waffle maker they sell.

I paid this month’s cellphone bills in Claro then looked down to the 1^st level and it appeared Urbania was packed. I went to Santa Leña and had a latte while solving more chess puzzles.

I received a text from Innovation Corp to pay 79,900 pesos for my latest order that has arrived in Bobogta. I left at 4pm, made the 79,900 pesos deposit in the Bancolombia consignacion ATM, bought a few items in Exito and returned to the apt by taxi.

I showed Teresa the photo of the Black & Decker waffle iron and she said it’s too big (don’t know how she can tell that from a photo) and she wants to see it in person.

I started watching a limited series called Ripley (8.2) on Medellin TV.

 

EL ARROYO SIGNS

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at midnight, was awakened at 5am by a bird chirping right outside my window. I got up and rapidly opened and closed my vertical blinds but that didn’t faze it. I went back to bed, it stopped its noisiness about 5:45, finally waking/getting up by alarm at 6:30.

I took an Uber to Unicentro mall and found Jose outside the San Joaquin entrance waiting for the doors to open.

First, I stopped at an ATM because I wanted some small bills but it gave me all 100s. 😒

Upstairs we had our usual breakfast, French toast for me and an egg casserole for him. We discussed the August chess tournament. I would be playing in the IRT Afficionados (fan) section and the time control is the same as Jose and I have been playing, each player gets 60 minutes for the game plus 30 seconds per move. It looks like the entrance fee will be 77mil+20mil for a total of 97mil. It’s a 9-round Swiss not a 10-round Swiss with only one game on August 7^th. He’s thinking of making playing in it also but hasn’t decided yet. My meal with a latte and a bottle of water to go was 40,317 including tip.

We moved to the food court and reviewed the computer analysis from last week’s games.

I had the Black pieces in the first game and we played to a 63-move draw although he easily could have beaten me in the end.

I had the White pieces in the second game and Jose messed up the opening and I chased his king from e8 all the way to h2 trying to find the winning move. I blundered on the 33^rd move and gave him a knight and I finally resigned on the 41^st move.

I took a Didi directly to Eduardo Madrid for my bagel order. I had a ham sandwich with a latte and when I left the gave me the bagels in a box instead of a bag because they were still hot.

I returned to the apt.

Jimmy texted me he’s planning on coming for a visit this summer. 😀 TBC.

Tonight, I saw 2 bats flying around 2 levels below me.

 

EL ARROYO SIGNS

 

Monday, June 10, 2024

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, was awakened at 5am by a bird chirping right outside my window. I got up and rapidly opened and closed my vertical blinds and that must have scared it away. I went back to bed, finally waking/getting up at 6:30.

Today is another holiday, Dia de Sacrado Corazon.

I left the apt at 8am and completed my workout in Smartfit. This week I’m doing 10# less than my maximum and 7 minutes on the treadmill.

Los Porteños wasn’t too busy today so I took my usual outside seat and had a latte while going through my cellphone. Mr_Blamo (1134) challenged me to a (3 day per move) game. If I win that game that will put me over the 1600 barrier. I see Anna Cramling (2060) is playing in the Madrid Chess Festival.

Teresa called about 11:30 and said she will be returning tonight. She’s not mad at me she just took advantage of the fact I have breakfast with Glenn and her friend has a finca in Jardin and a car. She’ll be back tonight.

After watching the right Youtube video I figured out how to create black and white repertoires in ChessBase.

I watched Anna Cramling’s game on Chess.com against a 2265 rated player.

I left the apt at 1:30 and took a Didi to Sweet Georgia restaurant in Poblado. I dropped off the hardcover book I hadn’t read because I didn’t like it and I doubt I will try reading any more of their book offers. I had the Choose 3 which included 2 lattes for 45mil.

At 2:45 I took another Didi to Antonio’s Gelato and walked the half block to Parva where I had a café con leche while doing more chess puzzles.

I left at 4:30 and returned to the apt.

Teresa returned at 6:30.

I just watched the news and read my book the rest of the evening.

 

EL ARROYO SIGNS

Sunday, June 9, 2024

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 12:15, finally waking/getting up at 6am.

Teresa is going to mass again today so I’ll be on my own for lunch.

I left the apt just after 8am and arrived at Olivenza by 8:30. I ordered a latte and Glenn arrived with Bianca 15 minutes later. He’s feeling better after his surgery but still only about 60%. He asked me what brand of eggs we eat and I told him Gallinas Feliz (Happy Chickens). He asked me to ask Teresa where to find baking soda in Exito and I promised I would. I had the calentao with scrambled eggs. He gave me 12mil and left at 10:45 and I paid 51,898 for both of us and left at 11:15.

I stopped in Ara on the way back and bought a large bag of Fab detergent before returning to the apt.

At 1:45 we had a downpour that lasted about 20 minutes.

At 2:15 I had a Didi take me to Office Burger in the La Mesa neighborhood of Envigado. I had their NY Burger with fries and a Coke for 51,789, including tip.

 While there I briefly met a couple visiting from New York. We had another brief shower, when it ended at 3:30 I took a Didi to Parva where I had a café con leche.

Troyclough resigned our game in 49 moves increasing my rating 4 points to 1599, so close!

Troyclough did not immediately request another match so maybe I’ve outplayed him and need to find another opponent.

I left at 5pm and returned to the apt.

I finished the series The Good Fight (8.3) on Medellin TV.

At 8pm I tried calling Teresa but there was no answer. At 9:15 she finally texted me she’s far away. She said she’s “in Jardin because I don’t want to come my friends come first.” I don’t remember her asking me to go to Jardin. This morning before I left for breakfast I said, “I’ll see you tonight” and her reply was, “I’ll call you”. Is she mad at me for something? Is she just taking advantage of the long weekend going to Jardin with a girlfriend? TBC.

 

EL ARROYO SIGNS

Saturday, June 8, 2024

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, waking/getting up at 6am. Did I sleep through the night? Did I get up to urinate but then sleep wiped out the memory? No idea.

I think I’ve finally found a plan for this game against Troyclough. They say a bad plan is better than no plan at all. We’ll see how it goes.

Teresa said she told her mother yesterday we’re moving to Malaga, Spain and she started crying; she wants to go too. I said, “well, we could rent her a bedroom”. Teresa said, “she has money”. I said, “we’re still a long way from moving to Malaga. We’re just talking.” Later Teresa said she wants to open a restaurant in Malaga and sell waffles. 😊

Teresa told me Vicky stayed in a cool village called Villa de Leyva, 2 hours by car outside Bogota. Since we’re going to be in Bogota December 13^th for Teresa’s US embassy interview maybe fly to Bogota a few days earlier so we can stay there.

Teresa made a comment that the rainy season is over.

I left the apt at 8am and bought 2 bags of milk in Ara in order to have my blueberry pancakes.

I left the apt at 9am and had a café con leche in Parva while solving a few more pages of chess puzzles. I left at 11:15 and stopped at Antonio’s to buy gelato but was told I would have to wait 20 minutes for it to defrost so I just returned to the apt.

I used Booking.com and my USAA card to book Hotel Egina Medellin, Estadio for 6 nights from Tuesday, August 6^th thru Monday, August 12^th. Breakfast is included and the total price should be $339+$64 (taxes & charges). Not cancellable. Now I have to register for the tournament. Jose live nearby, I wonder if I can convince him to play in it.

At my previous Chicago address my ex tells me I received a “Summons for Standby Jury Service”.  😊 I’ll ignore it, catch me if you can!

Each room in the apt (bedrooms, bathrooms, closets) has a set of keys in the doorknob. I keep hitting my hand on the keys on the master bedroom doorknob when I walk by so I removed them and attached them to the other side of the handle by a rubber band. We’ll see if Teresa ever notices.

We’re in the 30^th move of my game vs Troyclough. Material is even but my position looks better so we’ll see.

I left the apt at 3pm and walked to Eduardo Madrid. I found a 6-pack of fresh sesame seed bagels so I took them to my table. I had a latte while doing a few more pages of chess puzzles. At one point one of the waitresses comes over, leans over and puts her hand on my knee (obviously we’re not in the US) and asks if I can give up my bagels for another customer. I told her I would if I could place an order to pick up on Monday. She reminded me that Monday was a holiday so I changed it to Tuesday afternoon. I can stop by after my chess games with Jose. When it came time to pay for my latter the waitress wouldn’t take my money so I left it and told her to share the 8,200 pesos as a tip.

I walked the 2 blocks to Antonio’s where I found 2 lines, one to pay

and the other to pick up your gelato.

I bought the usual ½ liter of coconut gelato and returned to the apt.

Teresa informed me she’s going to another mass again tomorrow so she borrowed my metro card and I’ll be on my own for lunch again.

For supper Teresa made pancakes topped with coconut gelato.

I watched another episode of The Good Fight. I’m nearing the end of the series and it’s getting interesting again.

 

EL ARROYO SIGNS

Friday, June 7, 2024

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

I’m almost out of Badia tea so I texted Marcos and asked him if he wants to go with me to Mayorista next Thursday morning. (Usually he buys fish.)

Troyclough is now on “Vacation” mode. When I looked again a few minutes later it had changed to “9 weeks”.

Teresa left at 8am and I left a few minutes after. I completed my workout (10# lighter) including 5 minutes on the treadmill. I do have a poking feeling in my abdomen, probably my prostatectomy site complaining about the exercise.

Btw, per Google, the little plastic tip at the end of a shoelace (probably the same for my gym shorts) is called an aglet.

I was sitting in Los Porteños having a latte by 9am. At one point their internet didn’t appear to be working so I had to turn off Wi-Fi and use my Claro plan. I left at 10:30 and returned to the apt.

Well, that was a surprise. Troyclough is back with his next move but ONEIPAMETATO1453 timed out in our game increasing my rating to 1595. He didn’t immediately challenge me to another game so I may be looking for a new 2^nd opponent.

Teresa called at 11:10 and asked me to put the chicken back in the freezer and meet her with her mother for lunch at 12:30 in La Bahia.

I found Anna Cramling again on Chess.com, her mother Pia is playing in the Norway Chess tournament. Not sure if this is a replay because I thought the tournament was over.

At 12:20 I changed clothes, ordered a Didi which dropped me off at La Bahia exactly at 12:30. There was a line but I went to the front to look inside to be sure they weren’t already there. They weren’t. About 10 minutes later I was at the head of the line so I called Teresa and told her there was a line but I was next. She said they would be right there. A group of 3 right in front of me left so I took their table. Teresa and MT arrived 5 minutes later. Service was very slow (we never got our juices) and lunch must have taken an hour. I paid the bill then Teresa guided us around the corner to a new café:

I had a latte with a small cinnamon roll. Later Teresa ordered a waffle that she shared with her mother.

We finally left about 5pm, walked MT a couple blocks to the entrance to her complex and Teresa and I returned to the apt by taxi. When we got out of the taxi Teresa told me the driver told her a couple months ago a boy murdered his parents in the complex across the street.

About 7:15 I decided to have a bowl of cereal for supper but remembered we didn’t have milk. I looked out the bedroom window and Ara’s parking lot was filled with more illegal cars parked on the street so instead I had an apple with peanut butter. I’ll have to pick up milk tomorrow when they open at 8am so I can have my blueberry pancakes.

I happened to look out the bedroom window just in time to see the bat land in the tree in front of us and stayed there for some time so I guess it found something to eat.

I have a really positional game going on against Troyclough with only 1 pawn traded thus far. Something’s got to break soon.

In the evening, I watched, on and off, a chess game a young lady was playing in a Carolina (North? South?) tournament against some hooded guy. She was winning but got into time trouble and it ended up a draw by repetition.

 

EL ARROYO SIGNS

Thursday, June 6, 2024

Last night I went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 4am, again at 5:45, finally getting up at 6:15am.

Today is the 80^th anniversary of D-Day! Not many veterans left from that day. I watched some of the Normandy remembrances on CNN.

I checked out Cine Colombia’s new releases but didn’t see anything interesting.

We left the apt at 9am and walked to Tostao in the Vegas mall where Marcos and Johana were waiting for us. The ladies discussed Malaga, Spain. They are rethinking their move to Malaga because it is so far (time zones and travel) from the US. Marcos told me about their upcoming trip to Morocco August 21 to September 25 in Morocco. I gifted them a Ziploc bag of Bisquick mix that they’re going to try for pancakes.

On Facebook, The American, John Poulos, who killed his Colombian girlfriend and stuffed her in a suitcase was found guilty and sentenced to 42 years in a Colombian prison.

We left about 10:30 and stopped in Mercado Madrid for some veggies. I was going to buy eggs but the brand we prefer was in boxes of two so I told Teresa I’d buy a large carton in Exito in Viva Envigado this afternoon.

I watched the second half of the Bears 46-10 win over the Patriots in Superbowl XX on NFL Network.

I left the apt at 1pm and took a Didi to the mall. I bought a blueberry muffin in Starbucks and took it to Urbania. It was pretty crowded but I got one of the last tables where I had my muffin with a latte while completing a few more pages of chess puzzles. Teresa called and asked me to buy blueberries so I left at 4pm, stopped in Exito and bought a large carton of eggs and a small package of blueberries and returned to the apt by taxi.

Teresa informed me she has an 8:30 appointment tomorrow in Laureles to get an injection so I’ll be on my own for breakfast. That would be a great opportunity to have breakfast in Los Porteños but I think I’ll be a good boy and just have a bowl of cereal, do my workout at the gym then have coffee in Los Porteños after.

I’ve seen a bat flying around the past few nights. We’re on the 4^th floor but it flies mainly at the 2^nd floor level at tree height. Because of that Teresa wants me to close the balcony window before we go to bed.

ONEIPAMETATO1453 allowed me to trap his bishop so now I’m up a bishop to a pawn. In my game with Troyclough each of our armies is on our own side of the battlefield waiting for someone to make the first move.

Change of plans: Teresa is going to make breakfast here before she heads out to Laureles for her injection.

 

EL ARROYO SIGNS