mountain fever

Big Jim and I had a nice albeit busy and a tad strange weekend. Friday night we took the dogs out to Perico's for a change. The precious Boo in particular loves people watching, and the cafe in the square is perfect for this. Mr Beebs was tormented by the village's Bully cat, who was making his rounds of the tables in search of dinner. He appeared disappointed by our choices of gazpacho and salad. It was an early night for us because Saturday morning we had planned a food shopping excursion to the coast to restock the pantry. We had to be back in time to feed J and M's five dogs. Big Jim and I had thought managing food distribution for our two dogs and a kitty cat was a challenge. Their three larger dogs---Lab, border collie, and local mutt Chica---eat together outside. The elderly Cavalier King Charles spaniel eats alone in the kitchen. And finally, the little terrier will only eat in the dining room next to the fireplace. Yesterday we went to the beach. Not very many people out when we first arrived, although the crowds did show up later in the afternoon post-siesta. Very few people in the water, and we found out why quickly. The sea was less Mediterranean and much more North Sea temperature. Big Jim took a 30-second plunge and quickly retreated to the towels. With only a handful of beach weeks left of the season, I was not going to let freezing water keep me from bobbing around the waves. And after my body eventually adjusted and my teeth stopped chattering, I figured I might as well get in all my swimming at one go. So I paddled around for about 30-40 minutes to the amazement of those on shore. Big Jim and I then had our lunch and promptly fell asleep. I don't believe I've ever slept so well or so long on the beach. When I awoke, I could not believe it was 6:15, only 30 minutes before our previously agreed-upon departure time. It was a glorious nap. One of the reasons Big Jim and I try to leave the village at least once a week or so, even just for a few hours, is to avoid what we call "mountain fever". Mountain fever tends to be more prominent during the rainy winter months, when the weather precludes travel. Hallmarks of mountain fever include overall crankiness, bitchiness, lethargy, impatience, malaise. For some reason, the fever seems to have hit many people early this year because Big Jim and I attended two birthday parties this weekend---one Saturday night, the other Sunday night---full of people with all the signs of mountain fever. The fever is highly contagious, so we tried to limit our exposure to the afflicted as much as possible. The only remedy for these people is road trip. Get in your cars people and drive! Another busy week here, but only one deadline for me so it will be a bit more relaxed than last week. Big Jim has a revised attack plan for the computer repairs, which he assures me will be completed by the end of the week. I'm not convinced, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. :-) hasta manana, mylifeinspain