eye update

Was back with Dr. Rubio today for this shoot-me-up-with-dye test (technically, fluorescein angiography). The dye man is apparently for hire because all the patients with me in the waiting room were there for the FA. We were also all very cranky because we had to fast, so no coffee, no toast, no juice for any of us this morning. Anyway, Drs. Rubio and Marcos had ordered the FA so that they could have a look to see whether there was any inflammation or liquid still underneath my retina. The FA should be a fairly painless procedure. However, the dye man and the technician who took the photos argued over which of my hands was best to stick the needle for the IV line carrying the dye. First, they tried the right hand. Mistake. I winced and then was a big girly and started crying (Okay, it really hurt). Immediately a giant hematoma formed on the top of my hand, and dye man yanked out the needle, dye squirting. "See, I was right. The left hand would have been better," he announced proudly to the technician. So back in went the needle in my other hand. No pain this time. Then the tech took a bunch of pictures and said I could go get breakfast and come back in half an hour. Saffron-colored dye had spilled out onto both hands, plus I had these big cotton bandages, one attempting to cover the golfball-sized mass on my right hand. I thought what barman is going to serve me a coffee, looking so freakish. Apparently, the barman at the cafe across the street from the eye clinic, where I found my fellow FA colleagues all chowing down. Had breakfast and read a little of "South from Granada" and then went to see Dr. Rubio. Everything in my eye is perfectly as it should be, and because I continue to have improved vision, albeit ever so slowly, the doctors are encouraged that I will get back as much as 60% (up from their previous mark of 40%) of my eyesight back. It just may take 6, 8 months, or even more. "Pacienca, pacienca, pacienca," said Dr. Rubio. And I can start driving again, wahoo! It had become to be a real drag always having to ask people to take me places, so I am very happy about this. Rubio just said I should be careful when parking, but other than that, I should use my eye as much as possible. My next appointment is in three months. So other than having bright orange-yellow hands, plus day-glo pee (which I am told will stop in a day or two), all is well. I'm not sure what Big Jim's friends at the black-tie wedding will make of his wife with the bruised hand and track marks, but I'm sure he will come up with an amusing tale. For some reason, Rubio gave me a copy of my eye photos. Not sure whether I am supposed to frame them or what, but if I have a spare moment this weekend, I will scan and post here for you all to admire. :-) hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

spanish "express"

Yesterday I received a visit from two couriers. The first was a man from DHL, delivering a book for my new editing project. It was shipped Friday from St. Louis, Missouri. The second was a man from Nacex (a Spanish courier company), who brought my airline ticket to Frankfurt. It was sent April 13 from Malaga and was to arrive in 24 to 48 hours. As you can see, it did not. The package only arrived after an exchange of about 12 e-mails with the travel agent (who was very helpful and patient, by the way) and me phoning Nacex directly. I was first told they had made several attempts to deliver the ticket, but I was never home. Therefore, I was going to have to come to Malaga myself to pick up the ticket. Bull, bull, bull. We have had this problem before, as have others in the village. The truth is that many couriers don't care to drive up here just to deliver one package. Fair enough, but don't lie and say you attempted delivery and no one was home. I used Nacex's tracking service on their web site and repeatedly received the message that there was no record of my package. Scary. When I purchased the ticket, I also had to provide two phone numbers to the courier. I suggested to Nacex if the delivery man came and no one was home, why wouldn't he call my mobile because invaribly I would be just down the street at the market or walking the dogs. I was told the delivery guy could not call my mobile. Well, then why did I have to give two contact numbers?!! The lovely Cristina at the travel agent finally arranged for the ticket to be delivered Monday between 9 am and 2 pm. I was home the entire time, except when at the vet's with Mr. Beebs, and then my friend L. stayed at the house to wait for the ticket. Surprise, surprise, it never arrived. That evening I received a call from the delivery man himself, telling me he would be there Tuesday between 12 and 1:30. Perfect, I say. But 1:30 came and went with no ticket. An hour later, I was just about to send off another fiery e-mail to Nacex, when there was a knock at the door. Finally, finally I had my ticket. Almost two weeks for it to travel 40 miles. My suggestion: in Spain, only buy e-tickets. Five days until I see Big Jim. :-) hasta manana, mylifeinspain

priego de cordoba: part II

M.A. and I both awoke on day 2 at 9 am, quickly showered, and went down to the hostal's restaurant for breakfast. We both ordered tostada, orange juice (freshly squeezed), and coffee. Two enormous pieces of toasted bread soon arrived, along with a basket of butter and jams, a bowl of fresh tomato puree, a second bowl with pate, and a small pitcher of olive oil. After years of my ritualistic breakfast of toast with butter and Marmite, I had no idea where to begin. Forty minutes later, stuffed with goodness, we were ready to continue being tourists. Our first stop in search of barroco cordobes was la Iglesia de la Aurora. The church was completely empty, except for a security guard, which I found a bit odd, but I suppose is perhaps necessary these days. We asked the guard if we could take photos; he said we could, but not of the paintings that hung on just about every available space on the walls. This was okay (albeit disappointing) because the highlight of this church is its incredibly ornate molded ceiling....


....and its many cherubic faces. As we were leaving the church, an older man on the street just outside told us we should not miss the convento de San Francisco just around the corner. We thanked him and headed in the direction he pointed, M.A. doubly curious that she had missed this church on her previous trips. The convent was set back in the corner of (yet another) tiny street, and as we stepped inside we were ever grateful for our chance encounter with this local man. There were several small chapels, but we followed an older Spanish woman, dressed in black, into the largest, and most grand.

Next we were off to la Iglesia de la Asuncion, which is best known for its impressive chapel. M.A. had described the ceiling to me as appearing like an upside-down wedding cake. We stopped there the night before because we saw the church door open, but alas the chapel was locked. M.A. has found this to be the case on several of her visits, so we crossed our fingers that this time we would not be disappointed. And we were not. Although the exterior of this church is more elaborate than that of the identically named one in our village, and includes this unique spire (below),...


...it gives little hint to what is found inside.



Our last tourist destination, and primarily at my urging, was just across the street---the Moorish fort and tower, which date back to the tenth century. We paid the 2-euro entrance fee, which also included a tour of the royal slaughterhouse. Time was running short, so we didn't make it to the slaughterhouse this trip, but it is supposed to also be very interesting architecturally. As I climbed the rickety wooden steps to the top of the fort wall, the American in me could not help but think they would never pass any sort of inspection code in the US. Part of me believes this is a good thing, but that part vanished as soon as group of high school students on a fieldtrip came racing up behind me. I had a flashback to my college tourguide days at Crystal Cave and the dreaded Friday arrival of buses full of teens from the Police Athletic League. But I hung onto the railing and continued ascending. And what lovely views I found.


I then climbed up to the second level of the tower. The fieldtrip gang ignored the barracade to the top level, and for a second I thought about joining them. But alas, I am too old to follow whatever the popular kids in the class do, so I turned around. Besides, I was a little worried about all the electrical wires for the exterior lighting just lying about (too many shocks from touching our dishwasher in my bare feet have made me uneasy with Spanish wiring).
Needing refreshment, we stopped at a cafe for a quick tinto de verano, and then it was time to head back to the hostal to pick up our bags. We had left them in the owner's living room, guarded by his ancient mother, who never seems to move from her chair. I wouldn't say she had a trusting look, but we still knew the bags would be safe with her. M.A. always chooses a different route home when she takes a roadtrip, so on the way back we made a loop around Lake Vinuela and stopped near there for a quick sandwich and a coffee. I had never traveled with M.A. before, but given the success of our first roadtrip together, I hope there are many more. Some parting shots of Priego de Cordoba....
I suppose some people would tire of so many olive trees. But I so love the color, that I am looking for yarn to match it, to make myself a sweater. :-)
hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

quick mr. beebs update

Just got back from the vet---good news! Little Beebs is almost completely 100%, to the amazement of the vet. No fluid left in his ears to drain, no need for operation, no reason for me to go into my litany about why I preferred a less invasive procedure before going ahead with the surgery, etc. Typically, these things take 10 days to 6 weeks to drain on their own, which is what causes the disfigured ears. Mr. Beebs' ears cleared in less than 24 hours. The only explanation the vet could offer was that he is a very healthy dog. And all those people who laugh and think I am crazy for feeding the dogs lots of raw meat and some vegetables, take note. He still has a slight fever, so I will keep him the meds for that; otherwise, I just need to keep an eye on him and make sure he continues to eat and play as normal. And hope this is the last medical problem we have to deal with for awhile! hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

why is it....

that in Spain, a country not exactly known for its punctuality, its sledgehammer-wielding construction workers begin their day at precisely 8 am? But seriously, this gutting of the neighbors' house is becoming worrisome. Friday I had to remove two stone planters, one of which was directly above my head, from the wall because it was shaking so much. And yesterday I noticed the wall on the terrace had buckled, and there are many more cracks. When the banging began this morning, I took my bedheaded, pajama-clad self up to the terrace to speak to the men. They told me my terrace wall was like that before (ha!); R. then popped his head out his bedroom window, and said "Absolutely not." The men's response, that infuriating shrug of the shoulders, and "Well, it's an old house." To which I replied, "They are ALL old houses!" One of the workers then said, "Not this one; it's going to be brand new." Urgh....must now call Aurelio so that he can have a look at the terrace wall. More later, after the vet visit. I have been reading up on dogs and their ear problems, and I have many questions for the vet.... hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

droopy update/priego de cordoba: part I

First an update on the little Beebs: he is much, much better today, and I am fairly convinced his ears aren't broken after all. The swelling is almost completely gone in his right ear and about 80% down in the left ear, which was the worse of the two. But more importantly, he can perk up his ears today, which I don't think would be possible if they were broken. The fever is also down. My gameplan is to take him back to the vet in the village Monday as scheduled, but if he insists the ears are broken and wants to operate, I will take the "no longer Droopy" to our regular vet on the coast for a second opinion. I am thinking that my original feeling, that he got into a bee's nest on the goat trail (which is alive with all sorts of stingy things) or had an allergic reaction to some other bite or whatnot, was correct. Still glad I took him to the vet when I did, however, because he clearly needed the shots and meds he is taking. Okay, now that I am considerably calmer than yesterday, I will fill you in on the trip to Priego de Cordoba. The drive there through the mountains was fantastic. As I mentioned previously, there are just olive trees for miles and miles. As I have lamented in earlier posts about the continued development to the campo around the village, I found these landscapes amazingly refreshing.
As M.A. and I drove through the countryside, car windows open, the smell of olive presses churning out our beloved aceite wafted in the breeze. I do love a roadtrip. :-)
We stopped at a cafe for lunch, and I had to take a photo of these lilacs because their smell is one of my favorites, and we just don't have them in our part of Spain. In this part of the province of Cordoba, known as la Subbetica, I also admired the style of farmhouse, much different than the cortijos around the village, and perhaps evidence of wealth that arrived in these parts long before it reached our part of Andalucia. Those that dot the valleys around the village here are much smaller, usually two or three rooms and all single story. The farmhouses closer to Priego were all at least two-story structures and with many, many more rooms, anywhere from four- to eight-bedroom houses. The architectural style was still simple, which appeals to me, but clearly more space to spread out. (Note to self to check real estate prices for la Subbetica.) We arrived in Priego de Cordoba in the middle of siesta. Parking was a bit difficult because one of the main town squares is currently dug up and under construction. True to Andalucian form, there were no notices of this, nor detour signs redirecting traffic. So we backtracked as M.A. tried to approach the center from the other side of town. This time we were waved off by a man working for the ayuntomiento, who told us we could not drive down what was clearly a two-way street. I explained we were looking for parking, and he told us to go back to the Mercadona supermarket and park there. We had passed this market on our journey, but there was a large sign indicating the garage was only for patrons of Mercadona. I questioned the man about this, but he assured me all would be copacetic. We trudged along with our bags, through the dug-up plaza, to the hostal where M.A. usually stays on her visits to Priego. After picking up the key, we went through the interior courtyard to the lift up to our third-floor room. Quickly dropped off the bags as M.A. was craving a drink. A gin and tonic later, we were off exploring. First, we wandered through the old Arab quarter, with streets so narrow they made our c/ San Antonio look like a major thoroughfare.

My favorite rincon in the Arab quarter. Surrounding much of the Arab quarter is a promenade that looks over the countryside, and then opens into this beautiful park, full of shade trees and children playing.

After our stroll, we were decidedly hungry, so we stopped at a restaurant in the plaza just a stone's throw from la Iglesia de la Asuncion, whose chapel is one of the best examples of barroco cordobes architecture (more on this in part II). We studied the menu (which was all in Spanish; no English and German translation pages, which pleased me greatly), and agreed to share the cold three-salad combo as a starter. M.A. chose a chicken dish and I pork al ajillo for our main course. The waiter quickly brought us a pitcher of their house red, a basket full of five different breads to sample, and a plate of the most amazing olives. Frankly, we would have been content to just fill up on these! The salad arrived with more delights: mixed roasted peppers, sauteed swiss chard and carrots spiced with cumin, and an eggplant and garlic puree, telling of the continued Moorish influence in this part of Spain. We found the same when our main courses arrived. My pork with garlic also included a sauce of raisins, and M.A.'s chicken was done with cinnamon, tumeric, and fennel---dishes I would more expect to find on a menu in Morocco than certainly in our village. I was completely full by postre time, but M.A. had creme andaluz, and we both had a brandy to cap off a fantastic meal. We slowly walked back to the hostal through the silent streets and quickly drifted into a deep slumber. A lovely, lovely day. hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

mr. beebs

Poor little Beeb man, currently known as "Droopy". Had a great time with M.A. in Priego de Cordoba. Fell in love with this town and the surrounding area....olive trees as far as one can see. Have many pictures to post shortly. However, I have had bigger and more important problems to deal with today. Last night, after I had settled a bit from the trip and got through the 86 e-mails that were waiting for me (Did I start working again in an office and someone forgot to tell me?!), I called the pets' caretaker to find out if everything had gone okay. Yes, yes everything was fine, pets were well behaved, etc. Great, I said, and thanked him for the help. I then took them on a short walk around the village and came back to give them dinner. Except that Mr. Beebs wouldn't eat. He had some water, but just looked at the kibble and walked away with his tail down. Very strange, as the Beeb man is known for being a bit of a hoover. He was restless throughout the night, never being able to settle properly. I heard him get up a couple times and go to the terrace, returning with his ears dragging. He seemed a little better this morning and played happily on the goat track, although he kept shaking his head and tugging at one ear. When we got back home, I had a closer look at both ears, only to find they were incredibly swollen and hot to the touch. Our usual vet is on the coast, but since we moved to the village, a Spanish vet has opened an office here. I have taken a stray dog to him for shots and flea meds and liked him very much, so I gave him a call. Took Mr. Beebs over straightaway, and it turns out the cartilage in both of his ears has been broken (hence, the draggy ears). He also has a very high fever. The vet gave him two shots, and Droopy is also taking tablets. I must take him back Monday because the vet didn't want to do any more to him as long as he has this fever. Assuming the fever is down, Monday the vet will drain the fluid in his ears, and the Beeb man has to have surgery either Tuesday or Wednesday to repair the damage. What I thought was swelling was actually two large hematomas from the bruising. He is now sleeping by my side, looking incredibly cute. But I have been a mess of confused emotions all day. I spoke with the caretaker again, and he says nothing untoward happened on their walks (no mixups with other dogs or nasty farmers). Which means something must have happened while they were alone in the house. But what? I have looked for all sorts of clues, things knocked over, places where he could have gotten stuck and struggled to free himself, etc., but everything looks in order. I may have to resign myself to the fact I will never know. What I do know is that he has to have this operation and certainly won't be able to stay at home when I go to Germany in 10 days. So I have booked both the dogs in at their favorite kennel, where little Beeb man came from in the beginning. The woman there is the only person I would trust to make sure he gets his meds and plenty of TLC while I am away, and will be there for him 24/7 should he need her. What to do with Mr. Beebs when we travel is always a tough call. Precious Boo rolls with the punches, but Beebster has been spoiled by my working from home and has never gotten accustomed to our comings and goings. His first longer stay at the kennel stressed him out so that he gave himself a urinary tract infection. Seriously. Which is why I thought I would try the vet's suggestion of a dogsitter at Christmas, when the kennel was fully booked. That seemed to work much better, so I thought we had found a solution to his anxiety issues. But now I am at a loss as to what is best for him. Never leaving his side is not an option, no matter how cute the sensitive soul is. Send your good vibes this way; the Mr. Beebs could use them. gracias, mylifeinspain

supervolcano

I have a secret affection for the natural disaster flic....earthquakes, tornadoes, and now the supervolcano. I could not have been more pleased when our friend D. stopped by last night with a belated birthday gift---a box of Oreos and the BBC miniseries "Supervolcano", which he had rented for my viewing pleasure. This mockumentary is based on geological fact, that part of Yellowstone sits atop a supervolcano (hmmm, the National Park Service made no mention of this as I traipsed around Old Faithful....). This SV has erupted three times in the past 2 million years, an average of once every 600,000 to 700,000 years, the last time 640,000 years ago. The movie follows the lives of the geologists assigned to watch activity at Yellowstone and what happens when the SV erupts, spewing ash as far east as Pennsylvania, destroying the Midwest, and affecting weather patterns all around the world. Fascinating movie, especially for those of us with a zeal for this kind of story. Not recommended for worrywarts. Just got back from visiting the garden center. Interesting how a boxload of plants doesn't seem heavy until one carries it halfway up the village (we live in the section of the village known as El Monte, whose name speaks for itself). I believe my muscles have fully recovered now after the atrophy they experienced during the two months of reposo absoluto. The weather seems to be improved, so it looks like M.A. and I will be off to Priego de Cordoba tomorrow. It feels strange to be traveling with someone either than myself or Big Jim. I love M.A., but traveling can always bring out different behaviors in people, and perhaps it is this unknown entity of our relationship that is making me feel odd. Don't get me wrong, M.A. is one of the most seasoned travelers I know. She has sailed everywhere and once was even shipwrecked on an deserted island. A couple years ago she drove solo in her 17-year-old car from the village all the way to Norway, via Vienna, where she stopped to visit some friends. I am sure it will be fine; after all, it is only for two days, hardly sufficient time to get on each other's nerves. :-) The e-tickets arrived this morning for our Munich-Brussels flight. All that I am waiting for now is my paper ticket for my flight to Frankfurt to be delivered. But at least everything now has been paid for and confirmed. And I get to see Big Jim in 13 days (not that I am counting or anything). :-) Big Jim is having three shalwa-camizes (the loose pants and tunic tops) made, one proper one suitable for going out and two for work. With the temperatures already hitting 95 F, he decided jeans were not going to be his friend much longer. He also has been stopping at the UN Club's swimming pool, to cool off and to swim laps (in attempt to lose the stone [ie, 14 pounds] he has gained living in Pakistan). Still no Internet line at his new house. He stopped by a web cafe in some village on the way to Lahore last week. Was a bit disconcerting when 200-odd locals crowded around the windows to watch him (and he thought having our neighbors stare at him cooking in the kitchen was bad), and children hung on his shoulders, peering over to watch what he was doing. Time to get my green thumb busy, and then pack my bag for tomorrow. The plan is to start off early because we are taking the backroads, but knowing M.A. we won't leave before 11. Which is a-okay with me because I hate being rushed in the morning. hasta luego, mylifeinspain

still with the winds....

Sure sign of spring. We are on, what, day 9 or 10 of these crazy mountain winds. And they most certainly are coming from Maroma because despite the bright, intense afternoon sunshine, I am bundle up with a sweater, contemplating whether to actually use the hood feature. As I went on about the last post and previous, I believe the current meteorological event is causing everyone to act peculiarly. And now it appears, the dogs have been affected. Case #1, yesterday on the goat track, it was a lovely day, and thus the path was full of walkers and even a couple guys on all-terrain motorbikes. Mr. Beebs, despite his deep Spanish roots, has never paid motos any attention. Until yesterday, when he bolted after them, keeping pace mind you, barking like mad. Now this is a scene I have seen played out many a time in the village; chasing motos is one of the local dogs favorite activities. But just never our dog. Case #2, also on the goat track yesterday, the precious Boo decided to follow Mr. Beebs into the filled-to-the-brim irrigation channel. Despite the fact she is part Labrador, the pB has never showed any signs of fondness to water (except for the time she voluntarily jumped in the shower with me because she was afraid of the feria fireworks). Perhaps as a result of her recent need to be bathed frequently, she has overcome this because had a grand old time yesterday. Now if I could just train her to jump in the water after she has rolled around in caca, my life would be much simpler. :-) My birthday party at Casa Paco was really good fun....lots and lots of tapas and bottles of wine, but mylifeinspain managed to be hangover-free Saturday morning (I think my secret was the giant mug of mint tea I had when I got home). Finally sorted out just about all the details for Big Jim and my upcoming (2 weeks!) trip to Germany. All hotels are now booked and confirmed. I am just waiting for confirmation on the airline tickets from Munich to Brussels. The flight is booked, but the company requires a copy of the purchaser's passport be faxed before they issue the e-tickets, I suppose all in the name of security. So I found one of the few remaining fax machines left in the village this morning (most have been knocked out in electrical storms), and sorted that out. Just waiting now for confirmation of receipt. And then my travel agent duties are done for awhile. On the subject of travel, I may be going on a short overnight trip with M.A. later this week. She has been itching to get out of the village and suggested to me Friday night we go to Priego de Cordoba for a couple days. This ancient town is situated between Granada and Cordoba and is known for its baroque architecture. M.A. has been there several times and has always raved about it. So if the weather is good, we'll be off Wednesday and Thursday. C. has already agreed to look after the pets, and the timing is good because today I just finished a book project I have been working on since October. Off now to work on the garden. Garden mishap #3: I lost several of my seed pots because they blew over in the wind. Lesson learned: move seed pots inside or at least to more protected area of the terrace when the wind kicks up. So simple, even a beginner like me should have been smarter. Ah well, asi es la vida. hasta pronto, mylifeinspain p.s. My mother came home from the hospital Friday and is doing really well. :-)

blame it on blogger/happy belated birthday to me

Sorry it has been awhile without a post, but blame it on blogger. I wasn't able to log onto the system for the past few days; however, I eventually got to their help page, and there I saw that many people have been having the same problem I had, receiving an "Internal Service Error" message. A previous post suggested clearing the cookie file would help, so I tried that but to no avail. Next I sent an e-mail to their support address explaining my difficulties and what I had done to try to alleviate the problem. Rather promptly I received a response, telling me to delete my cookies. :-( But no worries; about an hour later I could finally get back on the system. Yay! It has also been a crazy busy few days. Let's see....Monday I had a bunch of files to edit. But more importantly, I was concentrating on sending good vibes back to PA Dutchland because my mother was having some pretty major spine surgery---three vertebrae in her lower back had to be fused, and six rods were inserted. Happily, she has come through it all very well. She has been out walking quite a bit, painfree, and today practiced on steps with no trouble. So, the doctor is very pleased. Mother is fretting because she still doesn't have much of an appetite, but I have assured her that is normal. I, lover of food, was the same after my eye surgery; it was at least four or five days before I started eating properly again. Anyway, she should be out of the hospital either today or Saturday, and then she will have my niece as a playful distraction for a few days because Cora and my sister are coming to help my dad look after her. Tuesday was also pretty work filled, which I have to admit was pleasant. It's nice to find out that I haven't lost much of my touch after such a long break. My plan was to get most of my work for the week done early because Wednesday was my birthday (37!) and Thursday I had to go visit Drs. Rubio and Marcos. First, the birthday day was nice, although it was strange not having Big Jim here to celebrate. But one must make the best of these situations, so I was determined not to be too pouty. :-) I saved one of the "good" bagels from the U.S. for the occasion, and had that for breakfast with cream cheese and smoked salmon, and I also made a couple really tasty English sausages that we bought on our Gibraltar trip. Then I took the pups on a long walk and let them be as silly as they wanted to be. By that time, it was almost noon, and the birthday e-mail messages had begun to arrive from the U.S. Thanks everyone for remembering me! I also spoke with my mother and Big Jim, and M. via Skype, yay. M.A. and I later went out to dinner at Cortijo Paco and had a fabulous meal---I had an avocado and shrimp salad, sword fish "pil pil", and chocolate mousse for dessert. All supertasty. Plus, it is the perfect time of year to have dinner at this restaurant; it is situated at the top of the village, with panoramic views down through the valley, straight to the coast. The sun had just begun to set as we had our first course, so watching the sky was our primary occupation most of the meal. We came back to my house, had a chupito of brandy, and then M.A. was off because she was taking me to the Thursday morning eye doctor appointment. I went to check my e-mail one last time, and the phone rang. It was my sister and niece, who wanted to sing "happy birthday". Cora must have sang her funked-up version at least ten times, each time inserting the name of another famiy member BUT MINE! And then she sat back and laughed hysterically at her own silliness, before finally, finally singing the tune with my name. I just love watching her sense of humor develop. Anyway, we were on the phone until way late, and it was the perfect cap to a very good day. :-) And then I had to drag myself out of bed Thursday morning. Not too difficult because construction had begun on the house below our bedroom. Houses in the village are put together like jig-saw pieces, so both our bedroom and bathroom sit over the lower floors of a house that one enters from a little side street running perpendicular to Calle Salares. Yesterday morning workers began ripping up the floors in this house, taking sledge hammers to the tiles and floor boards. So there was no way anyone could have slept in past 8am. All day long, Almendena furiously tried to keep the inevitable dust and flying debris at bay ("Ay, que polvo, que polvo!"). Anyway, off to the doctors, and not such good news. I have only recovered 15% of my vision in my right eye. So Dr. Rubio gave me a choice: to either have the contrast dye test now or continue with new drops for two weeks and then have the dye test. The dye test will allow the doctors to get a better idea of what is causing the problem, because again, the retina and macula are in perfect position; there are no cataracts either, or atrophy to the nerves. It is still possible the underlayers of the retina are inflamed or there is a tiny bit of fluid trapped under the retina. I chose to use the new drops for two weeks, and then I return to the doctors on the 29th for the dye test. The goal now is to get at least 40% of my vision back. I hasten to say, I think these numbers perhaps sound worse than the actual situation. With my right eye, I can see the eye chart on the wall and even struggle through the top couple rows of letters. And with contacts in both eyes, which the doctors now want me to wear, I feel as though I have perfectly fine and functional vision. After the visit to the doctors, M.A. and I stopped at Eroski to pick up a few things, and then headed home. It was almost 3pm, and I must admit these long eye exams tire me tremendously. One other plus, though, I have the official okay to fly now and, regardless of the outcome of the dye test, can take my vacation to Germany in early May. Which is a good thing because I really need to get out of the village for a little while! These mistral-like winds we keep having I am convinced are making people act strangely. It reminds me of this weird meteorological event that happens in Munich every so often, where an optical illusion is created that makes the distant Alps appear as though they are just outside the city (the tourist bureau takes advantage of this, and you'll find many a postcard of Munich with these majestic mountains in the backdrop....I wonder how many people are disappointed when they travel there to find the mountains are actually miles and miles away....). Anyway, when Big Jim lived there, he said many people got migraines and generally felt unwell, and some would actually have to leave the city until the spell passed. I feel as though the same is happening here with these winds. People just keep doing and saying the strangest things, and I no longer know how to react properly. So it definitely is time to leave Dodge for a couple weeks.... Tonight I am having my official birthday party. I booked a room at the new tapas bar, and there should be about twelve people or so. I usually don't make a big deal about my birthday, other than not working and being sure to eat lots of good food, but this year I figured why not. Birthdays should be celebrated, and after the year, correction years, Big Jim and I have had, it is time to have a party. :-) So I must be off. Hope everyone has a nice weekend! hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

sunday morning nature lesson and other tales of the goat track

Mediterranean butterfly orchid (officially I believe Orchis papilionacea) Took the camera along with me today on the goat track. This really is one of the most beautiful times of the year here for walking. Found several of these Mediterranean butterfly orchids....very tempted to snag one, but I resisted (having seen the movie "Adaptation" and all).
Busy farmers Mr. Beebs was told off later by the farmer on the left because the pup foolishly followed the water from the irrigation ditch down to the farmer's field. Oh boy did the expletives fly!
The Beeb man, before his run-in with the angry farmer.
Clouds over Maroma As I mentioned the other day, we have had sunny but very windy days of late. I am not sure what it is, but the wind seems to be making people in the village act even more strangely than usual, a la a full moon.
The precious Boo, smiling. :-) A poo-free Boo. My mother, by the way, is still not convinced that this dog is capable of any wrong and thinks I applied peanut butter to the Boo on the previous post. As if. hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

tgif, tgif, tgif

Big Jim's favorite bus stop in Islamabad Please do click on the photo to enlarge....you must read the complete signage because it really is too funny. I am posting so late in the day because we were without Internet access for 12 hours, and it just came back a little while ago. Today should have been relaxing, but it wasn't. I finished all my editing work for yesterday, so I should have had a clean slate of a day. But then I woke up, and the Internet was down. So I spent an hour making sure no cables were unplugged and that everything generally was working on our end. Appeared to be so. I had some coffee and breakfast, watered the plants, showered, you know basic stuff. By then, it was almost 11. Where had the morning gone?! Took the puppies on a long walk because it was a gorgeous sunny day, and we had the goat track all to ourselves (and the precious Boo found no poo to roll around in, so I was very happy). Got back and found a friend had left me three messages, each 10 minutes apart. Now I told her I would call her sometime this morning because she asked me to help her fill out her residencia form. I checked the clock; it was 11:40, technically still the morning. Why the need for three messages? She has thirty days to submit the application. I confess I felt harassed (this is not the first time I have received a barrage of phone messages from her, btw). So I called her and explained I had had to unexpectedly deal with the computer issue and was running behind schedule and would be right over. No, she said, she was going out for coffee now; could I come over this evening? Sure, no problem, I replied. I then hung out some laundry and did other bits around the house, and before I knew it, it was time for me to meet another friend for lunch. It was a pleasant enough time, but the friend is going through some pretty tough life changes at the moment, so the conversation was a bit heavy. By the time I headed home, I felt rather drained. (The food, however, was delightful....hummus and garlic bread starter, followed by chicken with roasted red peppers, and a chocolate brownie for dessert, so much no dinner required this evening.) At home, I called Big Jim and had a cranky phone conversation with him about our taxes. Things get complicated very fast when in one year you work in three different countries, live in a fourth, and are married to someone of another nationality. Oh how I miss the days of my friend, the EZ form.... (Brief pause as I go to rescue flying flower pots on the roof....serious, serious wind at the moment) On a cheerier note, Big Jim was having dinner with his Kenyan ambassador friend, and I finally got to chat with him. What a nice man. He again extended an invitation to us to visit him and his family in Nairobi. How exciting that would be! :-) While I was on the phone with Big Jim, my neighbor R. called up to me. He asked whether I was going over to L.'s house anytime soon (L. being the friend who needed my help filling in her residencia paperwork). I said I was, as soon as I was off the phone with Big Jim. He suggested I take a bottle of vodka, and when I asked why, he just shook his head and laughed maniacally. I soon found out why....when I get there, L. has no electricity in the house, and an electrician is there working. Fine, except that L. speaks virtually no Spanish, so I have now unknowingly been drafted into translation service. The headache that started as a dull pain halfway through lunch intensified. R. had been interpreting for her, but he had to leave because he was going to the special mass the church was having tonight in honor of El Papa. Fortunately for me, she had a common problem, just an ancient fried wire, which the electrician could fix temporarily for the night and would return in the morning to complete the job. I then got her forms sorted, but when I looked at the clock I couldn't believe I was seeing 9 pm. It then took fifteen minutes to say good-bye and get out the door. Ugh. I did, however, remind her to contact Miguel, a local tutor, about Spanish lessons. She is the only American in the village who doesn't speak at least passable conversational Spanish, and after six years here, her lessons are long overdue. I resisted the urge to have a drink as R. suggested, opting for a mint tea instead. But by now, the pups were huffing at me because they were impatient for their evening walk. And who could blame them. A nice relaxing walk around the village is probably what I need as well I told myself. But it was not a quiet night in Hooville my friends. The kids with their quad bikes were racing around the parking lot. The disco had opened early, and gangs of teens congregated outside. And as we circled back through the main square, who should be camped outside the new tapas bar but Demon Dog. Now those who know me know how much I love animals. And to be fair, Demon Dog has never received any sort of proper training at all. I have spoken to his owners about him more than once, and they just shrug their shoulders "no pasa nada". But that aside, Demon Dog IS evil, and he may be the only dog in the world that I feel little but contempt for. His favorite thing to do is hide under parked cars, and as other dogs pass, he rushes out in a flurry and nips and snaps at their legs. The precious Boo is amazingly tolerant, but then she has no aggressive bone in her 25-kilo body. Mr. Beebs, on the other hand, is not as patient. He puts up with Demon Dog initially, but if I can't untangle them quickly, he will snap back. And frankly I can't fault him. I believe there is a little corner in hell with Demon Dog's name on it. Unfortunately, tonight I didn't spot DD until after he had seen us. He raced across the square and chased all three of us around the fountain. Twice. To onlookers, it must have been a hilarious sight to watch. Mr. Beebs snapped back. I yelled at Demon Dog and was prepared to kick him (not too hard I hasten to add) if necessary. I finally managed to separate them and head out of the square. Demon Dog followed us down the street but eventually gave up and retreated to the plaza. So we had to circle in the other direction, again back by the trickster quad bikers, again pass the disco, to home. Where I found the Internet connection had finally been restored, allowing me to post this rambling rant detailing the trivial annoyances of my day. :-) Will be in a better mood tomorrow, I promise. Am off to have another mint tea, and then bed calls. hasta manana, mylifeinspain

hotel rwanda/supercommuting

Tuesday night I finally had the chance to the see the film "Hotel Rwanda". Wow, what an amazingly powerful movie it is. After the two hours, I found myself in a state of disbelief and horror and shame, that we, ie the West, sat back and allowed one million innocent people be slaughtered without hardly blinking an eye. The movie shows the frustration of the reporters who realize their media bosses will most likely bump their footage of the atrosities in favor of news more palpable to Americans, as well as that of the UN peacekeepers who were put in an untenable position of not being able to defend properly the people they were sent to look after. Horrible, horrible. Apparently we have learned nothing from the Holocaust, or Rwanda even, considering the current situation in Darfur. "Hotel Rwanda" is a must-see movie: the acting is simply amazing, and it is the kind of film that gets people thinking and talking and hopefully DOING something. It has been a quiet week so far here in the village. I have a couple of articles to edit, and last Friday I received my first paycheck in two months. That was very nice. :-) I am missing my daily skype sessions with Big Jim though. Last Friday, he moved into a house with a few other contractors, and they are still waiting for the telephone people to come 'round and install the DSL line. So, our contact has been limited to quick e-mails when Big Jim can get to an Internet cafe and short phonecalls when I can manage to get through on his mobile. Much of his work has shifted toward Lahore way (where today's weather forecast is for 91 F and "low drifting dust"), so he is spending quite a bit of time on the road with Nasir. But I will get to see Big Jim in less than four weeks now, which is very exciting. :-) The plan is to spend a couple days with T. in Frankfurt, then head to Munich for the wedding, and then Big Jim and I will go to Brussels for a few days. This is where we met in May 1997, so we have decided to return for a little R&R and nostalgia trip. We plan to visit our friend M., who owns the bar/restaurant where Big Jim and I stumbled upon one another, and stay in the same hotel as I did on that fateful vacation. I am sure we will pass by Big Jim's old apartment as well. Really, really looking forward to these few days. Big Jim and I have not been on any sort of vacation for, well, way too long. I came across an interesting article on CNN.com today (http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/04/06/bt.super.commuter/index.html). It is titled "The rise of the super-commuter". Turns out that traveling to work in another continent is not so unusual these days. Definitely interesting to read other people's perspectives and ways of coping. The Internet obviously plays a big part because it allows more frequent contact with home, which is critical. I know Big Jim has his own rules, eg he always leaves his slippers here because this is his "home", although there are certain comfort items that he always likes to have with him. Anyway, interesting article; check it out. It is off to the goat track now. Will try very hard to keep precious Boo out of the poo. She is two for two the past couple days, and if she keeps this up I am going to have to buy some more doggie shampoo soon. hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

No time today...

for a proper blog entry. The photo is mainly for my mother, who never believes that the precious Boo can get into trouble. Mother, please note the brown areas on the side of her face. Okay, we're off to the shower now, before the entire house smells like burro caca. Get the incense! hasta manana, mylifeinspain

sign it's going to be a good week....

Just got back from walking the dogs (saw my first red poppy of the year!), and as I was filling their water dish, I realized there was a bit of paper sticking out of my freshly washed pair of jeans. I pulled it out, figuring it would be remnants of one of the countless notes I write to myself and then misplace. But no, I was delighted to find 25 euros, wahoo! Kudos to the EU folks who selected the paper stock and color dyes for the euro notes: both the 20- and 5-euro bills came through the wash cycle in perfect condition, with a faint smell of mountain fresh fabric softener. I know I am easily amused, but nice way to start a Monday morning....:-) hasta luego, mylifeinspain

quiet weekends

The weather here the past few days has been full of April showers, although the pups and I did manage to squeeze in a long walk yesterday morning when the sun made a brief appearance. It was the perfect sort of weather, though, to have a "domestic" weekend, and that was exactly what I did. Big Jim's "computer graveyard", also known as the hallway outside the bathroom, is now completely cleared. Finally. :-) And what started out as just putting away the clean laundry for the week turned into a major closet reshuffle and one full bag of clothes to be donated. All good stuff. The dogs also had their annual trip to the vet Saturday. Twas time because with the spring wildflowers also come the nasty garrapatas (ticks), almost overnight. So, the pups are now armed with Scalibor, which keeps away all the nasties, including sandflies, which are the most dangerous of all critters to dogs around these parts. And they had their shots for the year and their passports updated (yes, technically dogs and cats are to carry passports here); therefore, should precious Boo and Mr. Beebs care to take off on a Eurail trip, they are free to roam the EU at their leisure. So, it was a productive yet relaxing couple of days. I spent a good amount of time perusing the freelance job boards and saved a bunch to bid on this week. My energy levels seem to have returned to normal, thank goodness. I can now do pretty much whatever I want without tiring. And I am also down to a quarter of the dose of prednisone that I was taking, which seems to make my stomach much happier---always a good thing. The vision seems to have improved slightly, but nothing too dramatic, although I have another 10 days before I next see the doctors. I have this feeling I may just be a slow healer. For example, almost everything I have read about victrectomies says that the bubble should dissipate in two or three weeks; mine, as you know, took a full nine weeks: mylifeinspain = remedial patient. On the exterior, the eye looks much better. It was still a little puffy a couple weeks ago; now, one would be hardpressed to notice a difference between the two, with the exception that my pupil is still dilated from the drops. Going about my business, I hardly am aware of the lack of vision in my right eye; the left eye has compensated quite well. :-) I had long chats yesterday with my very excellent friend J.A.R. in Wisconsin and my parents. Always nice to talk with J.A.R. and catch up on the family news. My mother is having back surgery next Monday, which is a good thing because her pain has become more and more limiting. Grandmom (who is 93) is doing well; her nurse Lily has her crocheting up a storm....tea towels for my neighbor R. People have asked how the village responded to the death of "Juan Pablo II". C. went to mass Friday night and found the usual crowd of women in attendance. The bells rang Saturday night after El Papa's death was announced. Herb Thief bolted out of the house and down to the church to confirm they were ringing for the pope and not someone in the village. Yesterday, though, was pretty much as usual....Almendena's family was over for their weekly Sunday dinner, the farmers were working, etc. Today is an official day of mourning, and the village school has closed. In the more conservative provinces of Madrid, Galicia, Murcia, the Balearic Islands, and Valencia, a three-day mourning period will be observed. The Spanish Socialist government and the Vatican have been at odds this past year, the Pope condemning its sanctioning of gay marriage and birth control. Despite the fact that people here identify themselves as Roman Catholic, fewer and fewer attend mass regularly. The new pope will have many a challenge here in Spain and elsewhere...of course, the neighbor women are hoping he's Spanish! hasta pronto, mylifeinspain

friday fotos

More from Big Jim's Pakistan collection....have a good weekend, everyone! Hasta pronto, mylifeinspain