Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of genealogy research, early mornings, new lights and fans, neighbourly help, football frustrations, and small domestic victories.
Friday, January 29th
A painful back, a sunny balcony, and a quiet day of research.
I woke up with a bad back, so after a massage, I spent the day sunbathing on the balcony, reading my Kindle or doing genealogy research. My promise to myself to do more exercise seems to have slipped by again.
Saturday, January 30th
An early start, odd jobs with Reindeer, and a solid Arsenal draw.
I woke up very early, around 05:30, and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I got up, did two loads of washing, and swept the floor in the apartment. I then sat down to do some genealogy research before my friend Reindeer came round to look at a few odd jobs I needed doing. Many jobs that most people can do easily, I find difficult because of my eyesight, so I would rather pay someone to do them properly than attempt them myself and make mistakes.
Reindeer measured up for the headboard he is going to make for me and left me to have my dinner. I made a keto mess: tuna, avocado, beetroot, cucumber, cottage cheese and crab salad. It was a lot better than it sounds and very filling. I will get my weight loss back on track.
In the afternoon, I watched Arsenal play in a battling 0–0 draw with Manchester United. Like the food, the game was better than it sounds and probably a fair result.
Sunday, January 31st
Cutting carbs, ribs for both meals, and football all day.
After not losing any weight for a couple of weeks, I decided to cut out bread and potatoes again. I haven’t had much of them recently, but it is noticeable that my weight loss has stalled. This morning I had scrambled eggs and mushrooms with bacon.
Lunch and dinner were the same today: a large rack of ribs. I ate half at lunchtime and the other half for my evening meal. The day was spent on genealogy research and watching various football matches. While I was delighted for Brighton to beat the Spurs, I couldn’t believe how badly Tottenham played. It is probably too late for Moanio to dip into the transfer market, though he will, of course, have time to buy a new super‑powered hair dryer to blast the players he has.
Monday, February 1st
A quiet start to the year, sore eyes, and a slow‑cooker triumph.
It has been a tranquil start to the year. I have left my apartment only a couple of times to go shopping, and the last time I saw any friends was on Christmas Day, for dinner at my friend Matt’s. I do worry about my health as I have trouble with my breathing anyway, which makes me even more careful with COVID precautions, but I hope we can all start mixing safely again soon.
I went to the shop where I bought my LED lights to get a replacement bulb. Unfortunately, they don’t sell the bulb separately; the whole light costs around €60, so much for shopping locally. I looked on Amazon to see if I could order one. After browsing, I decided to upgrade the bedroom light and install a fanlight. The extra cost could save money in the summer if I don’t need the air conditioning running for the whole apartment. Some models are allegedly silent fans with remote controls and different settings. I asked an electrician friend for advice and waited for his response.
My eyes have been getting sore recently, maybe from all the research work on the computer, or perhaps because I need new reading glasses. I haven’t had an eye test for over three years, and the cheap throwaway glasses from the Chinese shops don’t help. I went to an optician in Los Alcázares, had an eye test and ordered new reading glasses with a blue tint to reduce screen glare. Hopefully, they won’t take long to arrive. My sister gave me money for my birthday so I can use it for the glasses. I wondered if other people find themselves getting more sensible birthday presents as they get older.
For my main meal, I made a slow‑cooker lucky dip, chicken thighs, chorizo, mushrooms, onion, chopped tomatoes and garlic. It turned out fantastic, and I had leftovers. Tomorrow’s food was sorted, and my friend Shellie dropped off a Tupperware box with dinner in it.
After consulting my electrician friend Derek, I ordered a new fan and light from Amazon for my bedroom.
Tuesday, February 2nd
A warm dressing gown, gifted meals, and a frustrating Arsenal match.
I went out for a scoot on my mobility scooter this morning as it was a nice day, but returned in time to take delivery of the final piece of my Asda order from 30 days ago, my dressing gown. It was worth the wait and is lovely and warm.
For lunch, I had a Mediterranean Trifle made with grilled chicken and mixed peppers layered with couscous and topped with crème fraîche. I didn’t make it; my friend Shellie made it and delivered it yesterday. This evening’s meal was the rest of the slow‑cooker dish from yesterday. It looks like I will actually have to cook something tomorrow.
In the evening, I watched the Wolves vs Arsenal game. Arsenal should have been 0–3 up before Wolves got near their goal. They had a goal ruled offside by a kneecap, then Arsenal lost a player for failing to tackle in the area, and Wolves scored the penalty. In the second half, our brilliant goalkeeper, who had been brilliant all season, threw the game away by handling outside the area and getting sent off, leaving us with nine men. Their winner was clever, but I can’t believe we were that good in the first half and still lost 2–1.
Wednesday, February 3rd
Digital art inspiration, genealogy, and a well‑timed delivery.
I ordered a new fan light for my bedroom on Monday, and it was delivered today. I am always worried I will miss deliveries if I don’t hear the very loud doorbell or if I happen to be in the loo when they call.
I started the day by watching some excellent free training videos on Photoshop composition. They were terrific and immediately made me want to start taking photos and building my digital art portfolio. I have a couple of things that whisk me away to a timeless space: my Photoshop digital art and my genealogy. Today I alternated between the two while trying not to get too immersed in case I missed the doorbell. I spent the morning listening to Ken Bruce on Radio Two, doing digital art training, and researching genealogy.
For a nice change, the delivery arrived at midday, leaving me the afternoon to continue with my digital art and genealogy.
Thursday, February 4th
A new digital art page, a perfectly timed installation, and a fantastic fanlight.
In the morning, I began setting up a Farcebook page to advertise my digital art. I hoped to do more of it in the coming years, and I wanted to start selling some of my images.
I had just set off for a walk along the promenade after lunch when I saw my friend Shellie. We were chatting from a distance when my phone rang. It was my friend Janet, letting me know her husband, Derek, could come and fit my ceiling light and fan if I was in. I quickly walked the short distance home and arrived seconds before Derek did. He fitted the new light and fan in my bedroom and did a great job.
Not having had fans in my apartment before, I wasn’t sure I would like it, but the model I bought is fantastic (fan… fantastic… did you see what I did there?). The light has three colour settings: bright white, dim blue tint, and warm yellow. The fan has three speeds and, most importantly for me, a timer for one, two or three hours. This is great as I can put it on at night to cool the room, and it will turn off automatically rather than waking me up cold. I can control it from the wall switches or the remote. It looks great, the fan is quiet, and I’m hoping it will save money on electricity by reducing the need for air conditioning.
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