Back we go.

Another hour spent at the bank in vain. This issue should have been caught when I was there yesterday. This problem is also a problem. When we were members of CitiHandlowy Bank, we had a joint account. When Velo took over and imported our data into their system, my account was only my account. It was not a joint account like before. I didn't consider it when I was reviewing the papers they gave me to sign. I was looking them over again today and realized Joan's name is nowhere in the documents. This will not do because I am sure the Social Security Administration in the United States will only issue a check to the name on the document they have. So tomorrow, it is another trip to Velo Bank to see if they can get this mess straightened out. I am so tired of this.

Good and bad News.

I received a reply from the Federal Benefits Unit in Warsaw today. They informed me that I could take my documents to the consulate here in Poznan for verification. That means Joan and I will not have to travel to Warsaw or Krakow. That kind of trip, now, presents a little travel problem because of Joan's condition. So, that is a big load off my mind.

It was a nice day today, and I took Joan to our favorite Park to sit for a while and watch all of the people go by. I know it doesn't sound very exciting, but the important thing is for Joan to be outside in good weather.

Two days ago, I sent out messages to 42 cousins in my immediate and extended families. It was a message about the digital archive I created about Joan and my last 19 years living in Poland. Two and a half months ago, when I started, I didn't think many people would be interested. It turned out, or it's turning out, to be true. Only three people have responded and asked for it to be sent to them. Am I disappointed? No, because I didn't expect many of them to really care about extended families, only about their own immediate family. At this point, I don't really care. There is a saying here in Poland that families only look good in pictures. I found that to be true now.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine. Things are not going well between the Polish president and the Ukrainian president. Poland's president won't attend the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk this week because Prime Minister Donald Tusk did not extend him an invitation. This came about because of a bigger problem between Warsaw and Kyiv triggered by President Zelinsky's decision to name a military unit after UPA fighters, which prompted the Polish president to strip the Ukrainian president of Poland's highest State honor. 

The United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus delivered a report to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, underlining eight different areas that point to Belarus’s shift from neutrality. The document cites constitutional changes, military expansion, growth in defense spending, and a deeper integration with Russia’s arms industry as evidence that Minsk is preparing for possible involvement in the war against Ukraine.

Source-Kyiv Post.

Of course, I'm sure the Russian president is very happy about this.

Summer?

 97 F yesterday, 91 F today. Looks like Sumer arrived a few days early.

Fortunately, with a cross breeze in our flat and the drapes closed on the south window in the living room, our flat doesn't reach those temperatures. 

I sent out the information to my relatives about the digital archive of our 19 years living in Poland. If they want it, I just need their secure email address, and I will send it to them with the password to open it. I used Proton with a password, and it was confirmed and opened. Now I can return to my Spanish studies at last. 

An unusual parade took place today. The traditional Pineapple Cult Parade is one of the most iconic events taking place during the Pyrkon Fantasy Festival at the Poznań International Fair. This colorful and humorous procession attracts participants dressed as pineapples or carrying the fruit in their hands.

"The legendary Pyrkon tradition returns for the ninth time. As every year, we'll meet next at St. Mark's Square at Pyrkon on Saturday at 5:00 PM, under the Spire. Bring your pineapples and let's take Pyrkon with us," the organizers announced. 

 There’s a lot going on.

 Workshops, concerts, cooking demonstrations, the Sobótka Parade, and performances inspired by Midsummer Night—these are the highlights of “Świętowianki,” which will take place on June 20 and 21 along the Warta River. The event is divided into four themed zones: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire.

The program includes, among other things, a regional produce market, workshops, nature walks, wreath-making, concerts, and the Saturday Midsummer Parade. There will also be cooking demonstrations featuring Karol Okrasa and Paweł Ludek, as well as an evening show inspired by Midsummer traditions.
All events are free of charge.Source-epoznan

Return to bank

Yes, I discovered I couldn't get the total value of our account no matter what I tried. So, this afternoon when Karolina came, it was back to the bank. Fortunately. Mariusz was there to help me.

He didn't know exactly what to do, but after searching through the Velo website, he found the Product location where the report showed all accounts virtually exchanged into PLN (Polish money symbol), giving me the total value. It was a load off my mind.

Summer arrived early by two days and gave us 97 F. Way too hot to stay indoors, so I took Joan to a park to sit for a while. We could only take the heat for about an hour, and then we returned to our cooler apartment.

Is it done?

Paige came early, at 10:00, and I was at the bank by 10:30. I had a restless night thinking about the problem of not being able to access my bank account. I tried not to think about it last night, but it kept creeping back into my head.

I was able to talk to the same man in English that I talked to before, explained to him the problem, but he was unable to solve it. He had to go and get somebody from the IT department. A young woman accompanied him as he came back, sat down at her computer, and I told him the problem. He then translated it back into Polish as he spoke to her. At the time, she said she did not speak English.

I was well prepared with my passport, Polish identification card, and all the bank records from Citihandlowy. After she understood the problem of being locked out and unable to answer or enter my password, she spent the next 20 minutes going through her internet connection to the main bank to find a solution. It was a verification process for me, who I was, and proof by document. She told me, or I should say Mateusz, that during the migration of all documentation from Citihandlowy to Velo, not all of my information was in their records. I had to confirm, my name, address, phone number, and middle name. Of course, those records had to be copied, printed, and signed by me for the bank's records.

She then said I needed to have a new username and password, which she would put into the account, and the code would be sent to me via SMS to verify it. I received the code, she verified the information, printed out the copies, and I signed them

Then another document had to be created, giving my approval of the use of electronic connections. It was the same process, copied, printed, and signed.

By then, it was 12:00, and we were still not done. She said this site was working now and that I could get into my account. Since I had my laptop with me, I asked her to set up the account website on my laptop, so that I could verify access before I left the Bank building. She said she was happy to do it.

Once it was done, I tried logging in and had access. So, I guess you could say at that point I was happy.

Back at home, of course, I tried it again. I looked at it more closely than I did when I was in the bank, and noticed a discrepancy in the amount of money transferred from one account to the other. It could be that I just don't know where the missing account is or how to access it on the website. So, that means tomorrow I will have to take Joan and go back to the bank. However, I'm not going to worry about it tonight.

Tired of f@cking problems.

Our bank, Citihandlowy, was sold to Velo Bank. This has created a big problem for us. We have our Social Security checks electronically mailed each month to our bank. Each Bank has a specific SWIFT Code. So, Velo Bank is different than Citihandlowy. For us to receive our checks, the Social Security Administration has to be notified of the change. Due to new security laws in the US, this cannot be done online. The only way to change it is to make a trip to Krakow or Warsaw and talk to the Federal Benefits Unit. There is a consulate here in Poznan, but they do not have a Federal Benefits Unit. Plus, the Federal Benefits Unit in those two cities do not have phone contact. You must send them an email to arrange an appointment. Of course, a trip like that now creates a problem of travel with Joan.

Okay, that's probably number one.

Number two is the problem of signing in. I use Proton Pass to sign in to Citihandlowy. My password is 48 characters long. When I tried to put it into the new Velo Bank sign-in, it was rejected. Velo Bank has a limit of 20 characters. I went back into Proton and changed the password to 19 characters. Back in Velo, it rejected the new password. I tried it twice and had the same result.

I made a call to Velo, and after being on hold for 15 minutes, I was finally told an English-speaking person would call me. He called, I told him my story, and he said you cannot change the password in Citihandlowy. There was nothing he could do for me, and I had to go back to the main branch in Poznan.  

Tomorrow. I will be at the bank at 10:30

Rain Rain

A rainy day kept us indoors today until late afternoon.

Meanwhile, Ukraine.

More than 2,000 civilians were killed or injured in Ukraine in May, making it the deadliest month for civilians since April 2022, the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) reported on June 12.

The mission verified at least 274 civilian deaths and 1,763 injuries during the month, the highest monthly casualty toll recorded in the past four years.

"The intensification of hostilities and the increasingly frequent use of powerful weapons in urban areas led to high numbers of civilians killed and injured across the country," Danielle Bell, head of the HRMMU, said in a statement.

Among the deadliest incidents documented by the mission in May were a May 5 strike on an industrial area in Zaporizhzhia that killed 12 civilians and injured 42, and a May 14 missile strike on a residential building in Kyiv that killed 24 civilians and injured at least seven others.

Karolina, Laptop, Joan

Finally got my monitor to connect with my laptop so that I have a larger screen to look at. It certainly makes a difference. I also added a separate keyboard.

Karolina came early today, so Joan was showered and her hair washed by 1:00. That was good because it gave me time to take her to the park and go for a walk. Being Friday, there were not many people. That was also good.

I had a problem with my Lenovo laptop. I wanted to ask Gemini a question, but when I opened it, there was no text box to type into. Lenovo uses Windows High Contrast Themes. It has a built-in application called Lenovo Vantage that combines with standard Windows settings. It wipes out the text box. It took a while to eliminate the problem. I eliminated the High Contrast Theme and used a standard Dark Mode for the screen.

Happy to say Joan is making a little progress with her exercises, and Paige is helping when she does her bi-weekly visits.

Ukraine

Meanwhile, Ukraine.

 

Key developments on June 10:

• Russian-occupied Mariupol port no longer operational after Ukrainian strikes, Azov Corps says
• Chonhar Bridge linking Crimea to Russian-occupied Kherson Oblast destroyed after Ukrainian drone strike, Ukraine says
• Ukrainian Flamingo missiles strike military plant in large-scale attack on Russia, Zelensky confirms
• 'Time to sit at the negotiating table' — Bulgaria to stop sending arms to Ukraine

Ukrainian forces have disabled the Russian-occupied port of Mariupol, rendering the facility unusable for military logistics, the National Guard's 1st Azov Corps said on June 10.

Mariupol remains one of Russia's most important logistics hubs in occupied southern Ukraine, serving as a key link between occupied Donetsk Oblast, Crimea, and Russia. The port has been used to transport military cargo and support Russian operations along the southern front.

The strike targeted electrical substations, radar equipment, repair facilities, a control tower, fuel storage tanks, and the sanctioned cargo vessel Lady Augusta, a vessel linked to Russia's shadow fleet.

As a result of the attack, the port was left without power, significantly disrupting Russian military logistics in occupied southern Ukraine, the Azov Corps said.

The operation was carried out jointly with the Security Service of Ukraine's (SBU) regional directorate in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, the SBU's Alpha special operations unit, and Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces. Source-Kyiv Independent

Exercise

Paige has now become a member of exercising Joan's legs to regain strength. I started last week with one type of exercise, and now she has four. Like with Bartosz, Joan is more inclined to work with Paige than me. I only heard her complain during one of them whereas with me, it's all 4.

It was early morning shopping today. I was going to go at 11:00, but at 6:00 I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. I figured since I was awake, I might as well get the shopping over with. Next week's food cost $59. It would have been $48 but I needed toilet paper, dish and laundry soap 

Sleepy night.

I was so exhausted today that I slept for 10 hours. I'm still staying up too late at night, trying to get to bed by 1:00 in the morning, but sometimes I just can't do it.

Last night I was shooting for the 1:00 deadline, but just about that time I ran into a problem converting my digital archive to a PDF, and I couldn't go to sleep until I solved it. Actually, I didn't solve the problem; AI did. The problem with that was AI doesn't always give you the best way, or I should say, the quickest way to solve a problem. It's kind of like GPS. Instead of going straight to the problem, it tends to take you through several stages before finally finding the correct solution. It pisses me off, and I tell it to AI. It usually replies with an apology for the frustration I feel, and then gives me another way to try to solve the problem. After about three or four tries, it finally comes up with the solution. Of course, without it, it's very doubtful I would solve it on my own.

Well, today was a nice day outside with no rain and mostly sunny throughout the day. We didn't go anywhere, and while John was watching one of her TV series, I was finally able to get the correct PDF form created. Of course, I'm talking about the digital archive that I'm going to put on OneDrive, password-protected.

Nice day.

After three gray, rainy days, we finally have sunshine and warm temperatures. It was only natural to put shorts and sandals on Joan and take her outside. I made a smoothie of strawberries, banana, nuts, sesame seeds, dates, and raisins for our breakfast. Ten minutes after we finished, my stomach was growling and hurting. I spent the next twenty minutes in the bathroom expelling its contents. I felt moderately weak, so I laid down in bed for a few minutes. An hour and a half later, I woke up feeling better.

 I tried to think why that occurred.. The only plausible explanation was that last night I made Hungarian Mushroom soup for dinner. It was still in my stomach why I ingested the smoothie this morning. Maybe they didn't like each other and I paid the price.

Recovered, I prepared Joan and off we went to the park to spend some time. It wasn't as full of people as I thought there would be. Possibly because of the four day holiday of Corpus Christi. 

We sat in the park and enjoyed seeing the little kids with their no-pedal bikes going by with their parent(s).

Still nice outside, we went to Cafe Lokum for caffe latte and a muffin. 

Meanwhile, Ukraine.

First Lady Olena Zelenska and President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the world premiere of the concert version of the opera Mothers of Kherson at the National Opera of Ukraine. The production, co-commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, is based on the real testimonies of women who traveled over 4,000 kilometers through occupied territories to rescue their children.

 On Thursday, Russia’s foreign minister claimed that the US has backtracked on its own proposals made in Alaska during the August 2025 Trump-Putin meeting. The terms of that meeting are never publicized, but Moscow’s statements over the past decade have revealed its core demands.

In an interview with Kyiv Post, Russian regional activist Daniil Chebykin said the war in Ukraine is reshaping life across Russia, far from the front lines. He described growing restrictions, declining access to independent information, and a major increase in desertion. Chebykin also warned that Moscow’s rhetoric toward neighboring countries, including Armenia, reflects broader concerns over influence and control.

Lapse

Sorry about the lapse. Sometimes events in my life now just overpower me, and I can't find the time for even this. But I am not giving up.