This week I managed to start swimming more often, now that the weather is warming up I can get in the sea for my morning dip.
Monday, 23rd May.
I woke up around 7 am today and have a pot of green, mango tea. My swollen leg has gone down quite considerably when I get up this morning and it is not giving me any pain. Hopefully, it will continue to remain pain-free and not swell up if I take it a bit easier this week. I work on adding a new photo gallery to my website until lunchtime when I am due at the office.
I arrived at the office a little late as I stopped to talk to my neighbours, Richard and Val as I set off on the Sharky mobile from my apartment. Luckily Martin didn't seem to notice I was a bit late but he soon cracked the whip, handing me some paperwork to take care of before I even sat down. I worked hard at the office, leaving at around 2 pm. I stopped off for some bread rolls on the way home and got myself two chicken thigh rolls for lunch when I got in.
The afternoon and evening was spent relaxing and doing some more work on my computer at home.
Tuesday, 24th May.
This morning I woke early, got my pot of tea and started working on my website. At about 9 am I walk across to the Mar Menor and go swimming for about 90 minutes. I love wearing my snorkel mask now that the water is beginning to clear up again. The water is not as good as it was when I first lived in Los Alcázares some 17 years ago, but the distance I can see now is a lot better than last year, I hope it continues to clear. Whilst swimming I saw hermit crabs scuttling across the sand floor and lots of fish and jellyfish swimming around.
After my swim, I return home, take a shower and then get some breakfast, before going back to work on my website. I got so carried away with what I was doing I lost track of the time and by the time I looked at my clock, I was late for work in the office. I messaged the boss, telling him I would be late and then set off for work.
I arrived about 30 minutes late but I don´t think I will be docked any pay. Whilst sitting there with Martin and his dad, we were joined by Viv and Lesley. We all sat around chatting until the school bus with Martins´s daughter arrived. We then all went our separate ways. Later on, they are all going out for a meal at a local Indian restaurant. The restaurant they are going to isn't very big and is usually quite cramped, as my leg still aches and I don't want to sit for too long in a cramped position I decide to stay at home.
This evening I sit with my feet up watching television and editing more photos on my computer.
Wednesday, 25th, May.
I went for my morning swim again this morning and really enjoyed it. The water is cool when you first get in, but your body soon gets used to it. I sit in the water up to my waist to start with, slowly allowing my body to get used to the cooler temperature before I plunge in and go swimming. There are a lot of heart attacks caused by people jumping into cold water every year. Being on a beach on my own with few passers-by and having a heart attack caused by jumping straight into cold water is something I can avoid, so I do.
For my lunch, I walk around to D´Pollo and get a takeaway meal. Today I have a chicken breast stuffed with ham and cheese, wrapped in bread crumbs and served with roasted green pepper and chips. It was very nice and at only €5.30 very good value for money.
After lunch, I clean out my robot hoover, Peggy. When I empty it I find a huge slither of broken glass that could easily have sliced through my bare feet. I had dropped a glass a few days ago, I thought I had cleared it all up, but I missed this bit because of my poor eyesight. I am glad the Hoover picked it up and not my foot because I take blood thinners and it good of got messy quickly.
This evening I watched the Europa League football final. There are no English teams involved but 3 of the players have an Arsenal connection and I want to see how well they play. The game was not very interesting but I did manage to get a lot of work done on my website at the same time.
Thursday, 26th, May.
I got up early this morning, there will be no early morning swim today as I have to get my blood test done. I go to the doctor's surgery at about 8:30 this morning and they can take my blood test at 10 am. From there I continue to the bank to get some money before going to The Alaska bar on the beachfront for breakfast of a coffee and a Tostado.
After breakfast, I returned to the doctor for my blood test. It is done quickly and I am then able to go to Toldos Crilosa Cristaleria to collect a picture that is being reframed for me. Last week when I collected it they had just restretched the canvas and not changed the frame and it hadn't been what I wanted. Today when I went back they changed the frame, and restretched the picture onto the new frame, it was perfect. When I asked about the cost they declined any payment telling me the €10 I paid last week was enough. What a great shop, what great service, I will be using this shop for any framing and if I need any mosquito nets for my apartment.
Just after arriving home and hanging my picture on the wall, I was contacted by the boss. He has called an extraordinary meeting at the office at lunchtime. I make the excuse that the Sharky mobile has a flat battery and I can't make it in, I am told to try harder and to ask the upper management for a lift to get to work but upper management is working at a different office so I get the day off.
Instead of working in the office today, I tidy my kitchen up, I am thinking of making a few changes to it. My oven has died and rather than buy an under-the-counter replacement for it, I am considering a smaller, on-the-counter oven. That way, I can use the space below, move some cabinets around, and replace some with open shelving. I get myself some beans on toast for lunch and sit reading my Kindle.
Having tried a few different diets this year, that haven´t worked well, I have started on the Intermittent Fasting diet again. To make sure I know how to do it rather than guess I bought a book called ¨Fast. Feast. Repeat¨. After reading the book I realise that one of the things that I have been drinking during my fast period, flavoured tea, may be a reason for the fast not working as well as I hoped. It is not so much that the tea is making me fatter but it is tricking my brain into thinking I am taking in food, this, in turn, produces insulin, which in turn stops my body from using fat reserves in my body.
The book is very interesting and worth a read if you want to lose weight.
Friday, 27th May.
This morning, after realising the mistake I have been making with the intermittent dieting, I decided to step it up a bit, making sure I am doing what they call a clean fast. I also adjusted the times of my fast, I found the 12:12 option fine and I am now going to do the 16:8 option. This means I will fast for 16 hours of the day and allow myself to eat during the remaining 8 hours. How hard can it be, hopefully, I will be asleep for a large portion of the fasting period.
After getting up I have a glass of water, note the coffee or flavoured tea will have to wait till after 10 am when my fast finishes, then I sit at my computer typing notes for my website.
I walked across to the Mar Menor to go for this morning's swim, the air feels a bit cooler, I hope the water doesn't feel too cold. After swimming out around the rocks in the sea near my apartment, I sit on the wall drying off and see my neighbours Richard and Val who are off for a morning walk. I sit in the sun for a bit talking to Richard and Val before they set off on their walk and I return home for a shower.
At lunchtime, I walked around to the doctor to pick up my blood test results from yesterday. The reading is a bit high and I have to lower the number of tablets I am taking. It may be because of the extra walking, swimming and the change in my diet, but it's no problem that's why I have regular blood tests. After going to the Doctor I continue for a small walk into Los Alcázares before turning, walking along the beachfront and stopping at La Playa bar for a couple of beers. When hunger kicks in I head to D´Pollo to buy something to eat, unfortunately, although they are open when I arrive they have sold everything and cleaned up and I have to return home for a tuna sandwich for my tea.
The evening is spent resting my leg, it is cramping a lot and I am in a bit of pain. I must try to get some bananas to eat during the day, the potassium in them should help with the cramp. If this doesn't help I will have to get some of the sports drinks you see advertised with electrolytes in them. I go to bed after watching some rubbish on the television that was so good I can't remember it a day later when I type this up.
Saturday, 28th May.
I woke around 7:30 today and after checking my email I headed down to the beach at about 8:30 to go for my morning swim. I swim for about ½ hour, my legs begin to tighten up so I head back indoors for a shower. After my shower, I have a coffee and Tostado, before putting my washing in the washing machine and then heading down to the beach bar at about 12. I get a big bottle of water and sit reading my Kindle for an hour before I head back indoors to put another load of washing in the machine.
For dinner today I walk to D´Pollo, earlier than yesterday so they have something left, I go about 1:30. The shop is already busy and some things are already running low. I buy myself a stuffed aubergine and a piece of lamb with chips. It all tastes fantastic, I am very lucky to have this place so close to my door.
This evening I watched the Liverpool vs Real Madrid football match. It is the Champions League final. Liverpool played very well but Real Madrid's defence is even better, their goalkeeper is without a doubt man of the match. Real Madrid won the game 1-0 and the cheering and fireworks being set off from the property surrounding mine, indicate that a lot of the Madrid homeowners are in residence in their second homes tonight.
I was very disappointed by Michael Owens´ comments after the game, I think he may be a bit biased. He insisted that he thinks Liverpool is still the best team in the world at the moment. Rio Ferdinand points out that they have just been beaten in the Champions League so they weren´t the best in Europe. Owen then argued that it was just a cup game and that anyone could win a one-off cup game. Rio Ferdinand then pointed out that Manchester City had won the Premier League so Liverpool wasn't even the best team in England. Owen continued to argue that he thought Liverpool was the best team in the world. Michael, have some common sense, wait till your disappointment has subsided before you start making ridiculous statements. Liverpool won both domestic cups in England, but, in your own words Michael, anyone can win a one-off cup game and you came 2nd best in the other two competitions. Liverpool had a fantastic season but they are not the best team in the world. Everybody knows that award goes to Arsenal.
Sunday, 29th May.
I woke around 7 am this morning and sat at my computer working for a while before going for my morning swim. I swam for about 40 minutes then went back to my apartment for a shower.
After my shower, I make some scrambled eggs on toast for my breakfast. Just as I sit down to eat my breakfast my friend David arrives. He is just popping in to give me some advice on rearranging my kitchen cupboards. I am pleased to say it appears as straightforward as I thought. I used to do this all myself, fit kitchens, boilers, cookers etc when I was working as a gas service engineer for British Gas. I still have the knowledge of how to do these things but I no longer have the eyesight to be able to do it or the tools to do it properly if I wanted to.
After being given the okay by David I settle down at my computer to check out deals on new ovens and then work on my website. I look at lots of ovens and settle on one I like. I look at it in many stores but Amazon has it cheaper with free delivery and I already have half the money for it in Amazon credit. I placed an order for a new oven which will arrive next Friday and for a camera lens sun filter, which will arrive next Wednesday.
At lunchtime, my friends Bernard and Christina pick me up to go to Campbell's bar in Roda for Sunday Lunch. The lunch was very good but I had an attack of hiccups that wouldn't stop. I had the remainder of my dinner boxed up to take home and eat later when the hiccups subsided. I always like my dinner here but the company today made it better than my normal Billy Nomates company, thank you, Bernard and Christina.
After being dropped at home I settled down with my feet up on the sofa, my legs were again causing me some pain. As well as the normal ache I have an itching sensation that won't stop. To try and help with this, I cut a piece of Aloe Vera from the plant on my balcony, cut into it and spread the pulp on my legs. After a short while the itching stopped. I knew I had cultivated the large Aloe Vera for a reason.