countdown to feria/sangria

Late yesterday morning there was a commotion outside the office window. Listening to the radio with my headphones, I was only vaguely aware of the voices. A few minutes later, Big Jim said, "Look out the window." Antonio and Iluminada's grandchildren had strung red and blue paper streamers between all the houses in our corner of Calle Salares. Big Jim yelled down to them, "Thanks, but my birthday's not until January." The children giggled. "Viva la feria!" exclaimed Almendena as she returned from the market. A little later in the day, I went out with D. to translate for him at the medical center. He needed to see whether the results of his blood tests had arrived. I was surprised to see during the morning men from the townhall had hung the strings of paper Spanish and Andalucian flags all down our main "street", Calle San Antonio (I put street in quotes because c. San Antonio is barely wide enough for a car to pass without scraping the wing mirrors). The amusement rides have begun to arrive as well. As always, there will be the "kangaru", which is like the "spider" ride I remember from the fairs in my hometown, lots of arm-type extensions that move up and down as the ride spins at faster and faster velocities. There will also be the bumper cars, or dodge 'ems, as the English refer to them. According to Big Jim, they are called dodge 'ems because in the UK you are not supposed to bump into other cars; you will get a stern talking to from the ride supervisor if you do. Seems a bit of a pointless exercise and not nearly as fun to me, but just another example of how Americans and Brits see the world through different colored glasses. Perhaps the American approach is a testament to our thirst for more violence. Not sure.... Fly zapper update: My entry from a couple days ago turned out to be oddly prescient. M.A. came by yesterday afternoon with the money for her new computer, which Big Jim was to pick up last evening (that brings the total to 4 computers Big Jim is currently working on for other people). She came into the office with a large shopping bag, which contained a brand new fly zapper! M.A. had been shopping on the coast Monday and saw that Casa (a home and garden store) had a bunch of zappers in the window, so she bought them up. Now Big Jim and I have his and hers zappers. Mine is tangerine orange and Big Jim's is lime green. A professional, Big Jim has also reinforced the head of his with a couple metal plates and duct tape (for those really, really enormous and strong-willed flies....crazy  man). I then had to listen to Big Jim give a 10-minute tutorial on his theory and approaches to fly zapping. As I much as I detest the flies, I don't believe I'll ever get the same thrill that Big Jim does as a trapped fly sizzles on the meshed wires. But you never know.... Sangria, I've seen a hundred different recipes for sangria of varied ingredients and complexity. I'm listing my easy, easy instructions, guaranteed to refresh the drinker on the hottest and most humid of summer days. Here's what you need: Red wine (don't splash out on an expensive wine; a decent red table wine will suffice) Casera (if you can't get Casera, a lemon- or lime-flavored seltzer water is a good replacement) Fresh-squeezed orange juice (again, oranges are abundant here, so we usually make our own juice; you can use juice from a carton if you must) Lots of ice Sliced oranges, nectarines, apples, lemons Fill a pitcher just over one third with the wine. Add about the same amount of Casera. Top off with the orange juice. Your pitcher should now be three quarters full. Add the ice, and garnish with the fruit. Simple. Must be off. I have a lot of work to do before T.'s arrival tomorrow. I am also going to try to post a photo or two in the next couple days of the children's streamer handiwork, so check back. :-) hasta pronto, mylifeinspain