the missing consulate

I spoke too soon yesterday. About an hour after I posted the blog, Big Jim called. There apparently is no Pakistan consulate in Seville. According to the chair of the consulates in Seville, who Big Jim happened to run into as he searched the row of embassies, there never was one. This despite several sources we found to the contrary, which included the address and even the name of the consulate general and his phone number. When Big Jim called the number, it was a fax machine. I then called the embassy in Madrid; the woman who answered actually giggled as she confirmed, "Oh no, there's no consulate there." So who is this mysterious guy then, who appears to be posing as a consulate general? Big Jim is going to take printouts with the details to the embassy in Madrid tomorrow. Of course, today is the second national holiday of the week. It's a pity the double-holiday whammy is occurring this week. Otherwise, the woman in the embassy told me we could have sent the documents by courier, but that would take two or three days to process, two or three days we just don't have. Therefore, Big Jim is going to have to leave in the middle of the night, so that he arrives in Madrid early tomorrow morning. He needs to get his visa and then drive directly to Gibraltar for the wedding Friday. I will be traveling there with J. and M. and M.A., and we all plan to meet up Thursday afternoon. Crazy, crazy. I also called the dogs' regular kennel yesterday to book them in for the holidays. Turns out Kosydale has been full for Christmas and New Years since July. Major panic. But then I remembered our friend C. had offered to dogwalk for us in the past, so I gave him a ring. He stopped by last night to discuss, and he's going to walk and feed them twice a day while I'm in the US. He may stay over a couple of nights as well, to keep them company, and I'm going to ask M.A. if she'll do the same. I am quite happy with this arrangement actually. I think the dogs will be happiest in their own home, and C. is completely trustworthy and really good with animals. And they love M.A. So another item checked off the long very "to do" list. Somehow we are managing to get everything done. But I must press on with my work, deadline before I leave tomorrow for Gib. Hasta pronto, mylifeinspain