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