Velo Bank

Once again, I'm having trouble with the new Velo Bank website. The problem started last weekend. I had two bills to pay, and of course, I went to pay them online. I signed in to my bank account, placed the order to pay the bills, and when I clicked to confirm the transfer, it told me to go back to the homepage and start again. I did that three times. Each time, the result was the same: go back to the homepage. I was frustrated. And decided to go to the bank to see if Mariusz could straighten out this problem.

I was told Mariusz was on vacation and wouldn't be back for a week. I asked if there was another person who could speak to me in English so I could explain the problem, and the receptionist asked me to sit and wait. I did. I waited, and I waited, and I waited. After waiting 45 minutes. I was getting so pissed off that I decided to leave. Of course, I still wasn't able to make the payments.

One of the payments was for the bill of electricity for the last 2 months, and it was overdue. I called Renata, our landlady/friend, and told her about my problem paying the electricity bill. I told her I had taken out the money from the bank, and that I would drive to her house tomorrow to give it to her. Instead, she told me she would pay the bill and that I could give her the money next month when she comes to pick up the rent money. Okay, that one problem is solved, but the other still remains. This new bank has given me more problems than in all the years that I was with City Handlowy.

I also do banking with the former Santander Bank, now sold to the Erste Bank. Speaking with Renata again, she told me she has been with Santander also, now Erste, and that she has had no problems with their website. So I'm contemplating taking our money out of Velo Bank and using Erste. I will still leave our Social Security checks deposited to Velo Bank because I just had to go through the process of changing paperwork in the Federal Benefits Unit in the United States to get the deposit made in Velo. When the checks do come in, I will just transfer the money to the Erste Bank account.

Terrified!

On Friday, I had a blood test to check my PSA level. It is used to detect prostate cancer. 10 years ago, I had it, and it was treated with radiotherapy. Since then, I have had it checked every three months. The normal range is between 0 and 4. My last test result was 0.33, which is still very good.

Thinking it was time to check it again, I did it. Monday morning, I received the result. It was shocking. 4.4. I couldn't believe it had gotten so high in three months, so I looked at the date on the last one. Another shock. The date said September 12, 2025. I don't know why I missed those quarterly blood tests, but I did.

Panicked, I called to make an appointment with my private urologist, knowing it could be months before I would be able to see him. Thankfully, to my surprise, he had an opening the next day at 5:10.

We arrived on time. I went into his office, and he said it had been three years since my last visit. I explained that I had been keeping a close watch on my PSA until the last test last year. As a result of that mishap, I now had a PSA of 4.4. He examined me with sonograms in different places and told me not to worry; everything looked good. Also, that 4.4 was acceptable and to come back in 6 months.

I can't express the relief I felt. My only thought before was that I could not leave this planet before Joan. I have to be able to always take care of her.

U Przyjaciol

 Another day of gray skies, but at least the temperature was 72.

Joan hadn't been outside for three days, so at 1:15, I took her to Cafe Lokum. After parking the car and wheeling her there, I discovered it was closed.

We were close to Plac Wolnoscii, a place we haven't been to since last year, so I decided to take her for coffee at the place in front of the Plac. To our surprise, it had completely changed. Gone were the comfortable wicker tables and chairs and the couches they brought in two years ago. Before, about 40 people could be seated. Now, it is more like twenty. Worst of all, the old furniture was replaced with plastic, very uncomfortable chairs. This is not a place we will return to.

Cafe U Przyjaciol, nearby, was my final attempt for the day, and by that point, my options were running dangerously thin. What makes the place such a refuge is how entirely removed it feels from the noise and commotion of the city center. Even during peak hours, it remains surprisingly tranquil, offering a quiet, unhurried pace that is becoming harder to find.

I have brought Joan here on previous occasions, though the memory of those visits has slipped away, leaving the cafe as a completely new experience for her each time. From a practical standpoint, the location is ideal: accessible handicapped parking sits directly in front, saving us from a long or difficult walk. Once we settled in, Joan enjoyed a slice of rich chocolate cake with her coffee, while I opted for just a plain black coffee to keep things simple.

The location itself is discreet. Tucked away on a side street that no tourist map would ever highlight, the entrance requires walking through a passageway. That narrow corridor opens up into a hidden inner courtyard, completely sheltered from street traffic. Green plants line the patio, interspersed with a mix of vintage curiosities and artful objects that give the courtyard a distinctly bohemian character.

Inside, rather than standard open seating, every booth is individually framed by fabric hangings suspended from the ceiling. These partitions drape down to create private alcoves, offering a quiet, shielded space where you can sit comfortably and enjoy a long conversation without feeling exposed to the rest of the room.

Hot & Ukraine.

 It was too hot today to take Joan outside.

Renata came over in the evening to pick up the rent money and recommended we watch the SPY series on Netflix. We thought we would watch one episode to see if we liked it. It was based on a true story. We ended up watching all 6 episodes today for entertainment.

She also brought us homemade tomato soup, beef roulades, and lunch meat. For dinner, we had the soup. I was going to have the roulades and a salad, but after the soup, Joan said she had enough. 

Meanwhile in Ukraine,

Lithuania’s Ministry of Economy and Innovation has signed an agreement with the Ukrainian defense company DEMZ to establish a new ammunition plant. The project will include a new facility in the Prienai district and an existing site in Alytus. Construction is scheduled to begin in autumn 2026, with production meeting NATO standards expected by late 2027. The ammunition will initially supply the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with plans to export to allied nations.

A Russian drone struck a residential high-rise in Marhanets, killing a three-month-old baby and injuring 11 others.

Elon Musk is refusing to allow Ukraine to use the Starlink satellite network to target Russian missile batteries inside Russian territory, urging Kyiv to negotiate a deal to end the war.

Good exercise day.

Joan had a good day of exercise with Paige today. She still has a long way to go before she is walking again, but there is a little progress. I will take that.

I spent my three-hour break at the Apteka, going for a blood test, shopping for frozen fruit at Auchan, and at our cell phone provider, Orange.

The woman at Orange said I didn't need a new SIM card; she would just enter a new PUK number, and that was all I needed. Luckily, no customer was waiting, and I was in and out in 10 minutes. The same thing happened at the Apteka.

Unfortunately, the blood test didn't happen. I was there 5 minutes after their 12:00 closing, so I will have to go back tomorrow. 

 At Auchan, I bought 2 bags of frozen strawberries, 1 bag each of mangoes and pineapple. Cost $8

Frustrating day.

Even with the sun being out in blue skies, it was a frustrating day. I woke up and found my cell phone battery was at its end, so I plugged it in to recharge. After about 20 minutes, it was recharged, but when I turned it on, it said I had to enter the PUK number of the SIM card and my personal PIN number. I entered both of them correctly, but the message came back as failed. I tried it again, and it failed again, saying I had eight more tries before the SIM card would be blocked. 

I tried a different SIM number with a new PIN. It failed. Seven more tries left before blockage. I decided to ask AI what to do to enter and be able to use the phone. It suggested taking out the SIM card, and that should make it possible to use the phone. Then it said I needed to go back to my service provider and tell them I needed a new SIM card. That kind of pacified me, but it also presented a different problem that occurred when I went to the clinic to get a prescription filled for a medication I take.

I knew last Monday that I would run out of the medication by Tuesday morning, so Sunday night I sent a message to the clinic that I needed a prescription refill. Monday morning, their reply was that I did not have that medication in my history. That was impossible! We have been using the same Clinic for the last 17 years, and my prescriptions have not changed since then. I called the clinic, and in my feeble Polish, I explained to them about my history, and they said they could not find it. I asked if they would check their computer once again, and, lo and behold, they found it.

I told them I needed five packages of it, but they said I needed to see the doctor first. So I made a reply to get an appointment, and they gave me an appointment for Wednesday at 2:15.

We arrived on time; I told the doctor my problem, and she wrote out the prescription. Now, from past experience, I should have checked what she wrote, but instead I just folded it up and put it in my pocket.

I stopped at the pharmacy, gave them my prescription, and when they brought it to the counter, there was a problem. I told the doctor, initially, that I needed five packages. The prescription was only for one package. A little pissed off, I went back to the clinic, told the problem to the receptionist and said I needed to speak to the doctor. She replied that it was impossible, and that she would send me the new prescription Via SMS later. That's where the real problem was. Because my phone didn't work, I could not receive the SMS.

My only recourse was to send an email to the clinic and tell them my phone didn't work, so please send the code I needed to my email address. That was at for p.m. I waited and waited, and finally at 7:00 p. M. The code was in my email.

So tomorrow, when Paige is here, I will first go to my service provider to get the new SIM card, and then go to the Apteka to pick up the extra four packages of Medicine. All of this consumed my morning and afternoon and did not leave me in good humor.

I also had to send emails to people telling them that my phone was non-functional and to contact me through email. I hope by tomorrow evening this will all be solved.

51

51 years together.

Pro-Ukrainian.

Demonstrators took to the streets across Poland to protest against violence and hostility toward Ukrainians, vowing to stand by the community amid rising anti-Ukrainian sentiment.  

The rallies were held on Sunday in 22 cities, including the capital Warsaw, the southern city of Krakow and the Baltic port city of Gdańsk. 

The nationwide action was organized by the Committee for the Defense of Democracy (KOD), a Polish civic movement, under the slogan “Don’t be indifferent.” 

Organizers said the demonstrations were intended as a response to increasingly frequent verbal and physical attacks against people targeted because of their origin, language or appearance. 

They also aimed to show solidarity with Ukrainians and other minorities facing violence and discrimination. 

KOD chairman Jakub Karyś said Ukrainians had become an important part of Polish society, adding that violence against them was unacceptable. 

Participants were handed stickers bearing the slogan “Don’t be indifferent,” which organizers encouraged them to place on shop doors, businesses and cars. 

KOD said the stickers were intended as a sign to Ukrainians that they could “count on help, feel safe and have support” in those places.

Poland has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, providing military and humanitarian aid and hosting nearly one million people who fled the war. 

However, ties between the two nations have faced growing strains in recent months, particularly over their differing interpretations of World War II history. 

A major source of tension remains the Volhynia massacres, in which Ukrainian nationalists killed tens of thousands of ethnic Poles during World War II. 

Anti-Ukrainian sentiment has also risen, with Polish police receiving 180 reports of suspected hate crimes against Ukrainians in the first half of 2026, more than 30% higher than during the same period last year, according to a recent report.  

Sunday’s rallies were the latest in a series of public initiatives against anti-Ukrainian hostility.

Source-TVP World 

Our flat.

Our flat is part of a U-shaped block of flats. In Poland, this word, block, is not a measurement. It describes the type of building. The one we live in has 7 levels. The ground level is usually occupied by small offices like a doctor's office, a Beauty Salon, or even a Zaka(7-11 type store. So, what you call the first floor in the United States, here it is the 0 floor. Our flat is in the U portion of the building. 

Therefore, when I sit on our balcony, to the left and to the right I see the extended wings of the building. 

However, looking straight ahead on the balcony, I have a nice view of three large trees, grass on the ground, and in the third half on the right, there is another building blocking the rest of the view. This is kind of my refuge place during a normal day when I need a 5-minute break, and Joan is sitting in her chair or lying in bed asleep. For us, it is a very good location because it is only a 10-minute drive to visit Radek or other friends we have. It takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to the town of Golina. We have underground parking, so that makes it easy for me to get Joan in and out of our car to the elevator. 

It's a two-bedroom flat, although one bedroom is used as my computer room, but it does have a couch in it that I utilize to sleep when Joan is making too much noise at night. It's not very often that it happens, but the second bedroom does come in handy.

Like the previous apartment we lived in for 14 years, this flat has windows on the north and south sides, so we do have the advantage of a crosswind when the temperatures go above 80 Fahrenheit. On those days, I close the windows facing south and close the drapes to keep out the sun. The north windows are always open.

Another advantage is that we have a major food store only two blocks away from our flat.

88 F

It was way too hot to take Joan outside today. We stayed inside after I returned from my 3-hour break and watched the musical "Rent" once again. Amazingly, they found so many talented people to play the different characters.

The rest of the day we were just "slugs". 

Meanwhile, in Ukraine.

Russian missiles are raining down on Kyiv while Ukraine is striking targets in Russia and on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. In recent days, refineries and logistics centres belonging to online retailer Wildberries have again come under attack and been set on fire by Ukrainian drones.

Russian authorities said debris from a Ukrainian drone damaged a Wildberries logistics warehouse in Russia's Tver region, with no casualties reported. The claims came after Moscow said it intercepted 605 drones overnight, while regional reports also described a fire near a refinery in Yaroslavl.

Russia is gaining ground in Ukraine while losing the soldiers, money, industrial capacity, and political leverage needed to win. During June 2026, Moscow captured roughly 30 km² (12 mi²) at the cost of approximately 39,500 casualties and nearly $19 billion in war spending and strike-related losses. John Mearsheimer predicts an “ugly Russian victory,” but map movement cannot erase Putin’s failure to force Ukraine into submission.

On July 27th, in a speech, Putin remarkably said, Ukrainians are merely part of the Russian people and therefore have no right to their own language or culture. This is precisely why Putin considers the very existence of Ukrainians – rather than Russians – as Ukraine’s largest national community to be “complete absurdity.”

 Source-Kyiv Post

A nice offer.

A little warmer today, 82 F, but good enough to take Joan outside. I had no place specific in mind, so we started with a sit ina small park in the center and ended it with a trip to Cafe Lokum.

I wasn't there for sweets, but they had a blueberry cake I knew Joan would enjoy. I ordered two Caffe Lattees and one piece of the cake. The cost was $11. I was right, Joan very much liked it.

Back at home in the elevator, a young woman entered with a beautiful white dog. I had seen her before, but it was the first time with Joan. Joan told her how pretty the dog was. She asked if we spoke Polish or English. I said both. 

Then, in English, she told us where she lived in the building, and that if we ever needed help with something, to please come and get her. Both Joan and I thought that was very nice of her to offer.

She was the second stranger to offer assistance. Our first was Pawel & Julia Dalecki. They bought a flat across town and moved earlier this year.

Several friends of ours have helped us in the past 5 years, but none of my "relatives" who live in or near Poznan have. 

Paige returns

After a week off because of our trip, Paige returned today to continue the exercises with Joan. They were both a little tired when they were over.

I finally had a Spanish lesson with Radek. We have moved on to using the advanced book. The first lesson was easy, just a rehash of Estar and Ser(to be).  

It is warming up again with a high temperature of 89 F.

Meanwhile, Ukraine.

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said Washington has not finalized any deal allowing Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, even as talks on co-production with Ukrainian and European partners continue. He said the immediate priority is speeding up air defense deliveries before winter.

Trump has wavered on Patriot production pledge

Trump first floated granting Ukraine a license to produce Patriot interceptors during a meeting with Zelensky on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8.

“We’ll give them the right to make Patriots,” Trump said. “We’ll show them how to do it.”

The two leaders met again on Tuesday, July 28 in the Oval Office at the White House, a meeting Zelensky described as productive, fueling expectations that Washington would follow through on the licensing commitment.

However, speaking at a Cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, July 31, Trump softened his earlier commitment.

“We have not agreed to that. We’re talking about it, but it’s a hard thing to give away that kind of technology,” Trump said, adding that countries receiving the technology “can someday turn on you.”

Source-Kyiv Post 

Opera Fountain

What a beautiful day! I just had to take Joan out to enjoy it. After two conversations between 11:00 and 1:00, I helped her put on a pair of shorts and her sandals, and helped her into her wheelchair. I thought this would be a good day to go and sit in front of the Opera House and enjoy watching the fountain and the people passing by. Of course, the most enjoyable side where the little children playing in the water underneath the water fountain.

We sat there for about one and a half hours watching them, looking at the row of beautiful, old trees and the sky completely free of clouds. The weather was absolutely perfect: 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

Since we were so close to Cafe Lokum, I pushed her in the chair to get us to a table in what was once the courtyard of the horse stables. I Can Only Imagine what it was like in the days when the Cobblestone floor was all grass or dirt, and the horses were behind the big doors in The Stables. I imagine in one of the libraries there must be pictures of it, but I haven't taken the time to search for that.

In the cafe, I ordered  Joan a coffee and a blueberry piece of cake with raspberry topping. She said it was excellent and she really enjoyed it.

I didn't have my camera with me, but I did take pictures with my cell phone. We really like the way the flowers are planted all around the border of the pool of water.