me, computer tech

Just when life seems to be moving along swimmingly, another little bump in the road appears. Yesterday, this bump took the form of my laptop packing up. It was a good little laptop, my first computer ever. I used it very hard over the past three years, and we knew its days were numbered. Fortunately, one thing I've learned from Big Jim has been to back up, so the only work I lost was the files I edited yesterday morning. I then spent the next nine hours shuffling computer equipment around and installing software so that I can carry on with my work until Big Jim brings my new laptop from Amsterdam next Friday. I like to think the little laptop continued to chug along and held out until she knew we could sort of afford a new one. Sidebar: I read last week a news blurb criticizing John Kerry for using the expression "sort of". According to this report, "sort of" is upper class, affected, elite speak. Has anyone ever heard this before? Anyway, I feel as though I earned my computer tech stripes yesterday. Playing with all those cables....I managed to only get an electric shock once (which is an accomplishment because nothing is grounded in this house). I was wearing shoes (for new readers, if we touch our dishwasher while barefoot, we get a shock), but I had forgotten to unplug the monitor power supply. So I have one computer hooked up to the Internet and a second with Word installed, and between the two I can function as before. Slightly inconvenient, but it's only a temporary measure. Big Jim is starting to feel a bit of the pressures of working in "the Office" again. Half the people wandering around not caring; the other half running around with gazillions of ideas but having no plan as to how to implement them. It's his job to seek a balance. A possible business trip to Poland for next week was just thrown at him yesterday, for example. But we press on. So much new for both of us at the moment; it will certainly take a few months to feel "settled" again. I must be off. I've lost a day in my schedule and need to begin to catch up. :-) hasta luego, mylifeinspain

the art of puttering/maroma pics

To putter: "do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly". I love to putter, and this is how I spent most of this weekend. What a joy. And I also managed to do many of the normally nagging tasks that have been left undone for so long, like straighten the linen shelves and sort out the pasta bin. I dug out some knitting patterns; this is how I spend the rainy Sunday evenings in the fall and winter....listening to the NFL games and knitting. L. and I have decided on a dog sweater pattern for her boxer and our Mr. Beebs, so this week I need to look for yarn. Saturday I took the dogs on a long walk in the campo, and I was delighted to find the autumn crocuses in bloom. They are very similar to those that announce spring in the east coast of the US, except they grow a bit closer to the ground. Seeing these flowers again reminded me of the trip Big Jim and I took a year ago with J., M., and M.A. up to Maroma. We drove part of the way in a Land Rover, and then hiked for several hours. Because of the weather, we had to turn back and did not summit the mountain that day. However, the views were still breath taking, and the purple crocuses somehow managed to cling to the loose earth despite the whipping winds. I've uploaded a few pictures from that day; you can access them via the photo album in the left column of the blog. Big Jim and I are still amazed that this is where we live! Beautiful or what? hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

tgif

I am feeling much better today. First, under pressure from various voter advocacy groups, the Pentagon announced yesterday afternoon that they were lifting the bans on the FVAP web site. That said, I still am unable to access the site, but according to Big Jim, who is learning much about how the Internet works (eg, the real reasons the Internet seems slower at times, etc.) at his new job, it could take a little while until all access has been restored. Second, in a personal leap of faith, I decided to make a small purchase from amazon.co.uk---nothing major, just a DVD I have been wanting since last November---my first completely frivolous purchase in a long time. We've booked Big Jim's visit flight for two weeks from today....very happy about that. He has rediscovered IM-ing....even long distance he has found a way to distract me from my work! He was also excited to receive his first pay stub this week. Although he doesn't actually get paid until next week, it was a very satisfying experience for him. :-) This weekend, Big Jim will continue his apartment search, and I've got a couple of social things planned. Tonight J. and M. have an opening at the art gallery, and tomorrow night our friend V. has invited me over for a swim in their new pool. She and her husband had permission to build the pool since the beginning of the year, but the first shark of a contractor tried to double the original quote, so they had to find another contractor and by that time he was booked up, etc., etc. Asi es la vida here. Fortunately, we are having a bit of a hot spell at the moment, so we can get a little swimming in before the serious rainy season begins. Which reminds me, I better order a couple of gas bottles soon for the estufa and the oven (there are no proper gas lines here, you see). Hasta manana, mylifeinspain

vinegar

I have been in a bit of a funk this week, which is why there hasn't been an entry for a couple days (and I continue to be behind on my e-mail, friends). When my mood is particularly vinergar-y, I shift my writing to my unpublished journal in attempt not to foul everyone else's day. This week I have felt very much like the village smells at the moment: like fermenting grapes. There have been two things making me angry, one specific and the other more general. First, my friend M. sent me a link to an article published in the International Herald Tribune http://www.iht.com/articles/539597.html. It seems the US Department of Defense has blocked Internet service providers in more than 25 countries from accessing the Federal Voting Assistance Program's web site, including my ISP Telefonica, as well as Wanadoo in France, BT Yahoo Broadband in the UK, and Yahoo Broadband in Japan. Their reason for doing so: to protect it from hackers in the weeks leading up to the November election. Now one does not use this site to vote; it simply provides information on how to vote and a form to apply for an absentee ballot, and if my memory serves me well (it's been several weeks since I could last access the site), there are many scary warnings about the penalties incurred by those who commit voter fraud. I don't believe for one second that the Pentagon is seriously worried about hackers, and if the DofD can't protect one measly web site, what good are they? In elections that are now decided by fewer than 600 votes, I believe the adminstration doesn't like to think about the 7 million expats voters, particularly those of us living in places like Spain, France, and even the UK, where support for the US is seriously waning. I don't know whether this story has been covered in the US much at all. I noticed it was on the Yahoo front page for a whole twenty minutes Tuesday, and then quickly replaced by an article about Martha Stewart reporting to jail before October 8. For expats still needing a ballot request form, see the links below for other web sites that provide them. The second thing getting under my skin will not pass quickly methinks. M.A. and I had dinner Tuesday night, and we were discussing Big Jim's new job, etc., etc. I think I have some sort of posttraumatic shock syndrome as a result of our experience with long-term joblessness. I recently told another friend that I knew Big Jim and I had been very affected and most likely forever changed by the past three years. I think about how the Depression altered my grandfather for the rest of his life; every styrofoam packing tray and egg carton that Big Jim saved to use for his rooftop garden reminded me of the piles of these my grandfather also kept. I said to M.A. the other night, I'm not sure when if ever I will feel comfortable spending money again except for essential sorts of things. Even though Big Jim's job is a "permanent" position, I no longer feel any security about the permanent state of anything. I am also angry about how salaries have been cut. Big Jim and I are eternally grateful that he is working again; however, I can't help but question the state of affairs that makes us readily accept a position that pays only 50% of what Big Jim made three years ago. When I am feeling more comfortable with our finances, I plan to drop one of my clients. At the beginning of this year, this client dramatically cut its freelance rates. The spin was that they were keeping the rate the same; however, they redefined what constituted a "page", which is how they pay contractors. In the end, their new policy resulted in 35% less in my pocket. Therefore, I am angry and I need to come up with some constructive ways to deal with my anger. I typically am a fairly happy sort, so this bad taste in my mouth is strange for me. I know that the experience Big Jim and I have had is still being played out in too many households in the US, Europe, all over the world. But I also see too many people who haven't been personally touched by the perilous economy turn a blind eye, in an almost "blame the victim" mentality.....those who tell themselves this could never happen to them, those who look in the classified section and see jobs listed and immediately deduce there is no problem, those who convince themselves the long-term unemployed are just lazy buggers. Like the grapes I will eventually pass through the vinegar-smelling stage and a much more pleasant one will emerge. I seriously doubt I will take on the sickening sweet characterics of the local dessert wine, but I am aiming for a more full-bodied tangy rioja. :-) hasta pronto, mylifeinspain P.S. Check out this article my friend B. sent me yesterday: http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/people/women/9725497.htm?1c. It seems my thoughts on the Mediterranean diet were on target. I sense a revival.

first tofu, now veggie burgers

Last week I found tofu at Eroski's; this weekend as I browsed the village supermarket, I was stunned to find packages of veggie burgers staring back at me in the refrigerated case. Could it be Spain is finally embracing soy?! Apparently so, although I did find the tofu in the international food aisle. Soy milk has been here for a little while, and even our local Spanish bakery now offers soy bread, which incidentally is amazingly good. I got hooked on soy a few years ago, when all the health magazines and books in the US stressed its consumption as a preventative of breast cancer. Of course, as soon as I became a soy junkie, the reports came out that perhaps its benefits were not quite as great as the original studies had thought. Oh well....but I kept on eating it because by then I had acquired the taste. However, after I moved to the village a few years, I went through serious withdrawal because there was no soy to be found. On one of his visits from Frankfurt, our friend T. surprised me with several packs of tofu; I cried with joy. I also came across a recent article published in the Guardian last week (I may be repeating myself, but for Americans seeking excellent news coverage, including US news, check out the Guardian's web site www.guardian.co.uk). Spanish women are the longest living group of people in Europe, living an average of 83.7 years, a whopping 3 years longer than UK women at 80.7 years. And Spanish men are second in the male category (behind the Swedes) at 77.2 years. The secret to their longevity: the diet, particularly red wine and olive oil, and the excellent Spanish health system. The benefits of the Mediterranean diet have been known worldwide for years, but like most things in the US, its popularity was a passing fad, soon replaced low-carb mania and all kinds of wacky food crazes. Spain has a national health system, although there is also private health insurance. But to give you an idea of difference in costs, my private insurance here costs 35 euros a month and covers me for everything except basic office visits. The one month I had COBRA insurance in the US before I moved to Spain, I paid $330. No doubt, the Spanish NHS is a no-frills operation, and it certainly has its problems. But judging by these numbers, they must be doing something right. And at least when people are feeling unwell, they know they can go to the doctor and not worry about how they are going to pay for it. With our almost fifty million uninsured people and astronomical health care costs in the US, we Americans better keep eating our veggie burgers. As M.A. says, there are two things that make the US unique: its guns and its fear of socialized medicine. Perhaps it is time for Americans to pay less attention to the latest eating plan touted on the Today Show and fashion magazines and revisit the Mediterranean diet....it may be our only hope. hasta luego, mylifeinspain

happy friday/more expat ballot info

I can' t believe Big Jim is finishing his third week of work in Amsterdam already! And he always looks forward to Fridays now because Friday is BAGEL day in the office....I won't even pretend to hide my jealousy. He has promised to buy up a bunch for me when he next comes back to Spain. :-) Besides this added bonus of employment, Big Jim is now getting into his role more deeply, having to walk the political tightrope, etc., etc., but nothing he's not done before. This weekend he plans to spend time in Amsterdam, investigating neighborhoods, distances to transport, etc. as research for the apartment hunt. I'm planning a quiet weekend for myself. The past week or so, I've been out and about more than usual. First, there was the visit with C.W., also known as my Marmite dealer (he brought me two 500-g jars of the stuff; how could I not love the guy). I did not manage to convince him to move back to Spain immediately, but he is considering a return next year. :-) Then Saturday was our neighbor R.'s birthday party, which was held on La Roca's terrace. I think I've mentioned the decor of La Roca's interior....it's a bit church social hall, but with a pool table, red table clothes and vases of silk roses, and well, a bar. The terrace though is lovely in summer. We sat under the grape arbor, with heavy bunches of plum-sized uvas hanging above our heads. There are also several largish palm trees and many flowering plants....it's a bit of a green oasis in this dry, dusty part of the world. About 30 of us feasted on salad, paella, and plates of mixed grilled and fried fish, all delicious, and what we couldn't finish, the small tribe of kitties that live in the garden took care of. Monday was my day out with M. and D., and then Wednesday night, M.A. called and asked if I wanted to go with her to the Indian restaurant. Never one to turn down a curry or the company of M.A., I immediately said yes! But now I'm done playing social butterfly for a little while and looking forward to hanging out with the dogs for a couple days. Before I go, a friend of mine sent me another link that has very good voting information (and easy-to-use forms) for US citizens living abroad (thank you S!). Please see http://www.tellanamericantovote.com/ and send the link to any American you know who will be overseas for this year's election. My own political agenda aside, we've all got to vote, people, even if it means getting up early to go to the polls before work, standing in line for an hour, or paying 77 cents to mail in a ballot from Spain. It's an extremely small sacrifice to make, particularly when you remember how people had to fight over the years for this right. Okay, I'm off my soapbox. Have a nice weekend! hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

back to school

The long summer vacation has finally ended for the children in the village, and today was their first full day back in the classroom. At 8:57, the front doors open, and throngs of children, the younger ones accompanied by a parent usually, dash out onto Calle San Antonio. For a full five minutes, the street is jammed with children, most dragging behind them overloaded wheelie backpacks that seem to weigh more than their young owners. The school day officially begins at 9am, but judging by the numbers of late stragglers, the general attitude regarding punctuality that is prevalent in this part of Spain, what I call the 15-minute rule (ie, always add at least 15 minutes to the agreed-upon meeting time), seems to apply to school as well. Sidebar: On the subject of time, Big Jim and I noticed that the official time in the village is one minute behind that of the rest of the world. We find this adds even more charm to the place. :-) As a child, I always loved back-to-school time. All the shopping for supplies, new clothes, etc. I will never forget the image of my father's cringing face as he stood in the background of the young teen department at Wanamaker's, watching my mother, sister, and I look through the racks of designer jeans, circa 1979. In the end, probably out of sheer exhaustion, he agreed to the then-astronomical price of $32 for the pair of Jordache jeans I felt I so desperately needed. Poor Dad. The new school year always seemed so alive with possibilities, which added to all the excitement. "Yes, perhaps this is the year I become a 'cool' kid" was the sentiment running through the minds of 95% of students as they struggled to find their way to their homerooms on that early September morning. It wouldn't happen for the vast majority of them; it never happened for me. But in the long run, we are all probably better off, the experience helping us to build the character we'd need to make it in the "real" world. And even if the other kids didn't realize how cool I was, I always had my Jordache jeans to remind me otherwise. :-) hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

thanks to the DNC

....for answering my question about where expat votes get counted in the presidential election. They are counted in the last state in which the expat resided, which is good for me because PA is a swing state and it needs my vote. For expats who need an absentee ballot form, check out www.overseasvote2004.com. They have a simple template to use to request your ballot. And don't delay....time is running out. mylifeinspain

learning to relax (again)

Yesterday I did something crazy and almost deviant---I took a day off. Okay, I worked Sunday so that I could take off Monday, but there you go. Saturday I stopped by J. and M.'s shop to get a present for our neighbor's R. birthday party that night. M. asked if I would like to spend Monday with her and their son D. down on the coast. I quickly reviewed my work schedule in my head and yes, if I worked a bit Sunday, I could swing it. "Yes, yes," I said. So we set off at 11 in the morning and first went to the mall in Torre del Mar. Our first stop was to buy a new pair of running shoes for D. This was imperative because their latest canine acquisition, who is still a puppy, had had a bit of a chew fest during the night with D.'s previous pair. (Oh how I don't miss that---so glad ours are now proper dogs.) D. was also looking for a replacement orange tee shirt as the one he was wearing had become a tad faded. I believe all Dutch must have at least one piece of orange clothing in their wardrobe. But then again I have observed only Dutch men can pull off wearing orange pants without appearing utterly ridiculous, so it is a look that works for them. Lots of window shopping, although I did buy a pinkish tee shirt at Zara, quite pretty actually and only 5 euros and some change, so how could I say no. Then we had a quick stop at Eroski's. All the school books were lined up on tables, sorted by grade level. In Spain, parents have to buy their children's books, and there have been many news stories because the prices have gone up considerably this year, on average 45 to 60 euros more per child. I headed to the international foods aisle to get some coconut milk and was so excited to find tofu on the shelf. I had gotten hooked on tofu some years ago and haven't been able to find it anywhere here within 50 miles of the village. I got the last package. Wahoo. We then went off to the coast and had a nice lunch at one of the seafront restaurants. The best buys there are the menu of the day. There is a list of five or so starters, same number of main courses, and then ice cream and coffee for dessert, all for about 7 euros. So I had gazpacho (a decent bowl but it did not creep onto my "best of" list) and a grilled pork kebab. Too full, I skipped dessert and just had coffee. After lunch, we went food shopping at Lidl and didn't crawl back up the mountain until 5:00. Lovely, relaxing way to spend the day. But now it is back to the work grind for me. To all my friends who have sent e-mails in the past couple weeks, I promise I will get back to you soon. :-) hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

changing tides

I sometimes think that the expat gods relish watching recently arrived foreigners struggle in their newly adopted lands. Think about it....every well-known tale of city slicker couples buying old rundown farmhouses in places like Tuscany, Provence, and even Spain essentially is the same story. There are always the builders who quote prices that inevitably end up mere fractions of the final cost, draining bank accounts and bringing people to the brink of bankruptcy. There are the casts of strange-mannered (but mostly good-hearted) local characters, the bureaucratic hoops to jump through, the difficulties with a new language. Yes, I have come to believe that there is some unwritten test that we all have to pass to remain living in our villages and countrysides; those who fail are sent back to their homeland. During the past couple years, there were many times when Big Jim and I doubted whether we would make the grade. I think the low(est) point was last summer when the job calls were few and far between and my largest client closed shop and left me with a shell of a freelance business. Despondent, we seriously considered an offer from an agent who contacted me about an editorial manager role that would take us far from the village, in every way, to NYC. We tried to convince ourselves and each other that it would be a relatively short-term move, to infuse our bank accounts with much-needed cash, and that we would return to Spain to start afresh in a couple years. But something inside, perhaps the spirit of Maroma, our mighty mountain, begged us not to give up just yet. So I told the headhunter thanks, but no thanks and worked hard to rebuild my business; by the end of the year I had more clients that I could have hired an assistant. Big Jim revamped his CV, and the market improved ever so slightly that in November he started receiving calls for interviews. We again dared to hope. Our good friends J. and M. have had similar problems, and we have gained strength from their resolve to push on here as well. Now Big Jim is back working, loving his new job and its challenges, and J. and M. have had someone make a serious offer on their house back in Holland, something they have needed to happen for two years now and which will allow them to grow their businesses here. So perhaps the tides are changing for all of us. I confess everything happened so quickly and easily with Big Jim's new job that the reality of it all is just hitting me now. His unemployment dominated our lives for so long that we are left with a gaping hole, one that can now be filled with many exciting possibilities for our future. Indeed, it feels as though in return for our determination we finally have received our passing grade from the expat deity. Undoudbtedly there will be further tests of our will, for the tides are always in flux. However, Big Jim and I have emerged from this one a bit scarred but stronger than ever. Of this I am certain. hasta manana, mylifeinspain

busy, busy

Just a short entry today, I'm afraid. Busy with work again. Too busy to venture out for the bonfires the past two nights. After the grapes have been harvested and either made into wine or placed on the large drying beds where they soon turn into raisins (and I'm not talking about the tiny little turdy bits we call raisins in the US---these pasas are huge and luscious and out of this world), the farmers cut back the vines and celebrate with a few nights of debauchery in the countryside. After the sun sets, the campo becomes ablaze with fire, and folksinging and tribal beats of drums and tamborines echo through the valleys. But my present reality includes deadlines and more deadlines. Must finish up early today because our friend C.W., who has moved back to the UK, is visiting, and I'm meeting him at Bar Loro later for dinner. Looking forward to catching up with him and attempting to convince him to move back to the village. :-) hasta luego, mylifeinspain

m.a.

Last night the lovely M.A. had me over for dinner. I've been meaning to write more about M.A. for some time now because she is such a good friend and also such an interesting person. Here are 10 random facts about M.A.

1. She was born in Berkeley, went to boarding school in Toronto and university in Michigan. M.A. then bounced from Hollywood to Alaska and eventually Norway, where she lived for 40 years or so before settling in our little village in Spain.
2. She has had at least two husbands, although I've heard from others that M.A. has been married four times. I've never bothered to ask her directly because I know eventually she'll get around to telling me the whole story.
3. She shares my obsession with book buying.
4. M.A. has visited every country in Europe except for the Netherlands, but I think now that Big Jim and I will have an apartment there, she be checking this one off her "to do" list sooner rather than later.
5. As I mentioned in another entry, she has the only baby grand piano I know of in the village, and as far as she's concerned, there is only one type of music---classical.
6. I have never seen M.A. in pants; she even wore a skirt when we went hiking on Maroma (the 6000+ ft. mountain that overlooks our village) last fall.
7. She has been shipwrecked on a deserted island. Really.
8. M.A. almost caused a US customs official to faint when he asked her how long she had been out of the states, and she truthfully replied, "38 years."
9. She has two cats: Badger and Sonja.
10. When she was younger, she resembled Ingrid Bergman, as a portrait in her dining room attests to.

I had planned to head for home by midnight, but it turned out to be closer to 1am when I finally said my farewells. As I walked through the village, I saw not a single person. Well, there was the bouncing Seat, occupied by a lusty young couple, but other than that, the streets were completely still. I passed through the rows of empty tables at Bar Loro and into the square. Bully cat, who was surveying for food scraps left behind by the evening's diners at Perico's, and I had the entire plaza to ourselves. I then wound my way up Calle Salares, guided by the chirpy cricket who has made his home in the corner that adjoins our house with R.'s. I paused a moment to take in the near silence, knowing that as soon as I put the key to the door, I would have two groggy but joyous pups announce my arrival to the world. Another lovely night.

Hasta pronto,

mylifeinspain

happy birthday, grandmom

There's nothing quite like splitting a bottle of wine with a friend and then being awoken the next morning at 8am by a screeching, grinding tile cutter outside your window! I understand the man redoing R.'s bathroom can only work weekends, but it's very cruel to fire up the machine so early on a Sunday. The commotion not only woke up me and the pups but also Almendena's 3-year-old cranky grandson Martin, whose family visits nearly every weekend. I've never known a young child to cry and fuss as much as Martin. He's at his worst at dinnertime; without fail, he throws at tantrum at 2:15 every Sunday. Apparently he doesn't think much of his grandmother's cooking. Almendena then attempts to cajole him to eat by singing Spanish pop tunes, which only makes him yell louder. Is it any wonder Big Jim and I looked forward to our Sunday beach trips so much.... Had a very nice evening with L. She made spaghetti with a really good, rich meat ragu. I usually make a simple marinara of tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil, so her sauce was a nice change. She also made a simple salad, and we had some good Manchego cheese and grapes for dessert. Excellent meal. As I've mentioned before, L. is a fascinating person with many stories to tell, so the conversation was lively. She also has decided if Bush is reelected, she is selling her house in Brooklyn and moving to Spain fulltime and never returning to the US. And I thought I was angry about the current state of affairs! Today my grandmother is celebrating her 93rd birthday. Last night as L. and I discussed how the world has changed during her 78 years, I couldn't help but think how much my grandmother has seen in her 93! Indoor plumbing for one. But seriously, when my grandmother was born women couldn't even vote. She has lived through the World Wars, the second of which took the life of one brother and wounded her second brother twice. Cars, planes, television, VCRs, CDs, computers, electric kitchen appliances, credit cards. My grandmother went to university and was a teacher for 36 years. When she first became a teacher, the job was for unmarried women; therefore, when she married my grandfather, her career ended temporarily. This changed during WWII, when she was asked to teach again. She then wasn't just responsible for teaching students, however. She was also the school janitor and maintenance staff, in charge of keeping the floors clean and the coal fire burning. At 93, my grandmother remains the matriarch in every sense. Although her mobility is severly limited by arthritis, she still rules the family from her plaid tweed recliner. She's a complicated person, simultaneously frail and hard as nails. Her doctors are amazed by her overall good health and excellent mental faculties. She occasionally appears confused by conversation but that's simply because vanity prevents her from wearing a hearing aid. My grandmother lives in the four-bedroom Sears&Roebuck prefab house she shared with my grandfather. She has live-in nurses who help get her in and out of bed, make her meals, do her laundry, and my mother and uncle spend half their weeks running her errands and taking her to doctors' appointments. It's been difficult to watch her lose much of her independence, but she would very much like to live her final years in the house, as my grandfather did, so my mother and uncle work very hard to make that possible. Last year, our family had to face her inevitable mortality when she became sick with pneumonia and her heart and kidneys began to fail. The doctors told us it was a matter of days. I flew back to the US straightaway to find that Grandmom, being Grandmom, had defied medicine and was making an amazing recovery. My grandmother, like Big Jim, likes to talk. We always joked that God wasn't going to let her die because he wanted some peace and quiet in heaven for just a bit longer. I feel fortunate to have the relationship I do with her, and each of her birthdays serves as a reminder to me of all that she has achieved and overcome in her long life. I am grateful that she is still able to watch (and be disgusted by the disappointing play of) her beloved Philadelphia Phillies, enjoys shooting the crap with her even crazier cousin Hedy, and continues to crochet her trademark tea towels and dish rags. Today I wish for her another year of good health and happiness, and I warn the powers above not to take her from the earth until they are absolutely sure they know what they are getting themselves into. Happy birthday, Grandmom :-) hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

gambas pil pil and assorted ramblings

The weather continues to be the topic of conversation in the village. The tremendous thunderstorms, hail, heavy rain took everyone by surprise yesterday. From our roof, I watched the storm clouds race up the valley from the Sea; once they had settled over the village, not even the church clocktower was visible. Later, Almendena commented to Antonioformerpoliceman, "Yesterday, summer; today, autumn; tomorrow, winter." At least it appears she was wrong on the third count, but summer does seem to be a rapidly fading memory. My computer network managing skills had to be put into immediate use. One lightning strike knocked out our server (thank goodness for the old surge protector), and the Internet was out for about 15 hours or so. After the last storm, I got the server up and running, but Big Jim's computer is still not hooked up to the network. I think one of the pups jarred a cable in their mad dash under the desks (they really don't like loud noises, and thunder falls into this category), but I just haven't had the time yet to sort through the tangles of cords. Spent the better part of today cleaning and popped out to the market to pick up a few things. Not a decent red bell pepper to be found anywhere, but I managed to scrounge a couple okay-looking ones. Talked to Big Jim. Bored hanging around Schiphol, he checked out of the hotel early and has moved into J. and M.'s house in Weesp. He got his Dutch social security card sorted but then arrived at the townhall too late to register, so he has to do that Monday morning. Fortunately, the company gives new employees relocation time to manage these matters. He's also done some preliminary apartment searching and has found that even furnished apartment prices are sufficiently reasonable to allow us to keep the house here in Spain as well. Very happy about that. :-) Lots of people ask me how I'm managing without Big Jim around all the time. I'm fine; I actually am the sort of person who doesn't mind being alone. I'm more likely to go bonkers if I'm with people all the time. I rarely get bored; plus I do have the dogs and the kitty cat to talk to when I get tired of talking to myself. :-) But it is strange not having him here. He likes to talk, a lot, so the house must seem oddly quiet to the neighbors. Almendena did finally ask me a couple days ago where he was (I was waiting to see how long it would take them to note his absence, so we didn't tell the neighbors about the new job right away), and I explained he was working in Holland and would be gone until the beginning of October. She said, "Ah, you'll be fine; you have good neighbors, friends, and so on." And she's right, I do, which is comforting. I had trouble sleeping the first few nights, but then I started sleeping on Big Jim's side of the bed. I suppose I needed to smell him, on the pillow---he has a good smell; people always tell me that---and since then I've slept like a baby. I picked about 25 peppers today, mostly the tiny guindillas that are used to make gambas pil pil. We make them in individual, shallow earthenware dishes, although you can use any similar larger fireproof/ovenproof casserole. They can be done on top of a gas stove and/or in the broiler. Here's what you need: Olive oil 1 lb cleaned and peeled shrimp, medium size 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, crushed 2 or 3 guindillas (or small, hot red chilis) I add enough sufficient olive oil to the dish to cover the shrimp (about 12 to 15 shrimp per dish) and then heat on the stovetop with the garlic and chilis until the garlic is gold, a couple minutes at most. Take care not to burn the garlic; burnt garlic is bitter and nasty. I then add the shrimp and whack them in the broiler, again not long, a minute maybe, just until the shrimp are pink and the olive oil is bubbly. Serve straightaway with bread, to dip in the oil. Just watch eating the chilis if you're not used to them because they are picante. And as they say here, que aproveche! hasta manana, mylifeinspain

it's a soaker...

We've had tremendous thunderstorms all morning. The steps outside have become a gushing waterfall as they do in heavy rain...very early for the rains to return. I actually made a cup of hot tea, which I haven't had in months and months. Well, at least no plant watering required today. :-) mylifeinspain

happy friday

Wow, the cooler weather continues. It is 23C in the office at the moment, which is I think is about 75F. I've pretty much given up thinking in nonmetric terms anymore, and I don't bother trying to convert back to the old English system most of the time. I contemplated putting on my bathrobe but opted for just a sweater instead. I'm sure this will make Big Jim laugh when he reads this, but I have really acclimatized to southern Spain's temperatures, and thus 75F means I'm a little chilly. There is rain called for today and tomorrow, and it did just start drizzling. The forecasters had predicted we would have a long summer this year, but as I said yesterday, the signs are all of an early autumn. I'm finishing up a work project today and have two new ones for next week and another book project starting mid-September, so the office here continues to be busy, busy. Big Jim has eased into his new work environment even more quickly than I thought. As he regains his confidence, I find myself relaxing more and more. Big Jim was born to be a project manager, you see. During the years he was out of work, he applied all his PM methodologies to stocking the pantry and garden maintenance; it's nice to see him able to put his skills to better use (that said, I am very pleased with the current state of our pantry:-). A relatively quiet weekend for me. Must clean house tomorrow as it's in a bit of a state. I also need to go the produce shop to restock before my Sunday cooking bonanza. L., the woman from Brooklyn, has invited me over for dinner tomorrow, which should be fun. She's a fascinating woman with many good tales. Her brother was/is a fairly well-known abstract expressionist painter, who counted among his colleagues de Kooning, Pollack, and Robert DeNiro Sr. L. is full of stories about tagging along with him to Greenwich Village openings and events back in the day. She also loves a good chin-wag about politics, so I suspect we'll have plenty to talk about. Have a great weekend, especially to the Americans out there, who celebrate Labor Day on Monday. hasta luego, mylifeinspain P.S. Been a long time since I posted a recipe....will do so this weekend. P.P.S. G., got your e-mail. So sorry to hear about Jake. Will write back soon.

change of season

After the heat wave of last week, the temperature has turned decidedly cooler. So cool in fact that I had to pull out a cotton blanket to cover the bed before I went to sleep last night. Mr. Beebs, who is a short-haired, thin sort of dog, immediately crawled under the blanket and curled up in my belly, which is his preferred way to sleep. (He currently is in a tight ball on my lap, another one of his favorite ways of sleeping.) The sun is rising over the mountain much later than even a month ago. At 7:30, when the alarm goes off, the village is still dark. Consequently, the people are rising later as well, which is why I have set the alarm in the first place. I'm slowing getting used to my new routine sans Big Jim and it's requiring a lot more organization than I anticipated. Previously, my workdays consisted of getting up, making breakfast, writing, walking the dogs, working, breaking for lunch, working, having dinner, watching a DVD or reading, bed. Big Jim took care of everything else, bless him. I'm beginning to find ways to fit in the other tasks....the laundry, the all-important plant watering, shopping, going to the bank, etc. What I used to do when I still lived on my own was spend Sunday cooking, making and prepping my meals for the coming workweek. I decided I'm going to have to do the same here. This will get easier as the weather continues to cool: just fire up the slow cooker for a curry and put a pot of stew on the stove. Autumn was always my favorite season in the US. After a hot and muggy Philadelphia summer, I loved the crisp fall air. I haven't decided yet what my favorite season is here in Spain. The valleys are most beautiful in the spring, when they come alive in seas of wildflowers. However, in the fall, after the first heavy rains wash away the dusty drapery of a long, dry summer, there is a clarity to the mountain views not seen at any other time of year. The water washes off the dirt-covered lens and brings the world back into focus. For this (and the start of the NFL season :-) I look forward to the coming months, pulling out the sweaters, wearing socks again (this is always the strangest sensation, after months of sandals), lighting the estufa. hasta manana, mylifeinspain