21 hours and counting...

until we leave for the airport tomorrow. Wow, how the past few days have flown! Big Jim's off to have a short siesta. He was up at 7:30 to iron shirts while it was still relatively cool. Seemed strange to wake up and not find him still in the bed, but this is something I'll have to get used to. We then went down to the coast to do some shopping, mainly to stock up on the heavy things (ie, water, dog food, etc.), so that I won't have to worry about humping them up to the house while Big Jim is away. Our "street" is not accessible to cars; therefore, we typically park as close to the stairs up to the casa as possible and then carry the bags and crates from there. We also treated the car to a bath, its first in about five months. Regular carwashing just isn't done around here because it's pointless, particularly at this time of year, the dry season. There is so much dust in the air, on the ground, everywhere. When we return to the house from walking the dogs, picking up bread, and so on, we typically have to rinse our feet in the bidet because they are filthy. Sidebar: I thought the bidet was a charming feature of the bathroom when we first moved into Calle Salares. However, we only ever use it for the aforementioned foot baths (and for a couple days to wash dishes when our kitchen sink was installed). I now view it as more of a nuisance, just a second toilet to clean. The novelty has certainly worn off. Our final stop was also a bit of car maintenance. We went by the Peugeot dealers to buy a new pair of limpiaparabrisas (windshield wipers). The summer sun had literally baked them, and they were showing signs of deterioration; therefore, we thought it best to replace them before the rainy season was upon us. While Big Jim was having the car washed, I started our shopping at Lidl. It felt very strange pushing the cart around the market without him by my side, asking questions like "What's the red pepper situation?" I missed that; yet another thing I will have to get used to.... After we returned, I had my gardening tutorial and the lesson on managing our computer network. I am happy to report I passed both classes with flying colors (yes, there were even pop quizzes along the way; Big Jim was a teacher way back, you see). All that is really left to do is the packing itself. We may go to the beach tomorrow early for a final sendoff to the summer, but it depends on the weather. As we drove down the mountain today, the lower elevations were covered in a thick fog, and this continued all the way to the coast. The temperature there was practically chilly compared with that in the village. So we'll have to see. Last night we treated J. and M., their son, and M.A. to dinner at Bar Loro. It was Big Jim's unofficial celebratory meal. We also thought it was the least we could do to repay J. and M. for their generosity regarding the house. We've now seen pictures of the farmhouse, and it is beautiful and huge! Eight bedrooms, a living room large enough to play 5-a-side football (soccer for the Americans reading), an amazing kitchen (you can imagine Big Jim's excitement), a proper sauna, and a boat should Big Jim care to relax out on the canal. The apple and pear trees will soon need to be picked; Big Jim has already mentioned making cider. J. and M. provided details about getting to and from the nearby train station and even noted who the good neighbors were and who should be avoided (they referred to them as the "pig people"; they are called this not because of their porcine features but rather because they raise pigs). Big Jim has calmed down considerably, especially now that he knows he doesn't need to find an apartment for us there straightaway. The company also confirmed a laptop and a mobile phone will be provided with his position, so he doesn't to worry about moving one of our computers or getting a Dutch phone plan immediately and he can leave the Spanish one here with me. We are putting a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door this evening, and we're taking no phone calls. The past few days have been such a whirlwind that we decided tonight and tomorrow had to be reserved for us. And those friends who we haven't been able to see will have to understand that Big Jim will still be back a couple weekends every month, and they can catch up with him then. :-) Hasta luego, mylifeinspain