C. the midwife

In addition to being my personal chef and dog walker these days, C. can add cat midwife to his many titles. He spent the past 24 hours watching over his cat give birth to four kitties. As a homosexual man, this has been delving into pretty foreign territory for him. But he did some research beforehand, and happily mommy and kitties are all doing well. :-) Big Jim just e-mailed me the contract extension offer. It's very good, and it's for 6 months (not a year as had been discussed), which actually is a better timescale for us to work with. The pay is slightly less, but the company now will pick up all his accommodation and car/driver/petrol expenses, plus pay for a flight back here every three months. So in the end, we come out ahead. After his three-year job search, we feel as though we've hit the lottery....and as soon as I have the go ahead from Dr. Rubio to fly again, I will begin planning a trip to visit Big Jim in Islamabad. Yay! I am less angry today. I spent my free hour yesterday reading other expat blogs (to find some easily, click the expat express link in the left margin). I found it comforting to see how many other folks are living a life not unlike my own and how they manage the near-daily challenges that accompany expat world. I have already spent the better part of my hour today. I had to go order two gas bottles and pick up some envelopes at the papeleria. Also stopped off at the tobacconist. Her daughter, like all the children in the village, is off school this week and next Monday (Andalucia Day) and thus was sitting at the counter doing homework. So she and I had a little English lesson on numbers. She will now count to 100 if you ask her to. :-) hasta manana, mylifeinspain