Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of cold weather, chest pains, antibiotics, breakfasts with friends, genealogy breakthroughs, and the usual rollercoaster of Arsenal‑induced stress.
Friday, March 5th
A cold, lethargic day, a chat with Andrew, and an early night.
This morning, I pottered about the apartment waiting for it to warm up. I worked on my website and got a few ideas for artwork projects. By midday, it still hadn’t brightened up much, but I went to Aldi for some shopping. On the way, I saw my friend Andrew, who runs the chiringuito outside my apartment in summer. He told me they hope to open on March 15th, though, knowing Spain, it will probably be late March or April. Still, it signals the start of warmer weather and my swimming season.
I didn’t feel brilliant today, maybe due to the cold, and had a pain in my chest. I slept most of the afternoon on the couch. I felt a bit better when I woke up, but was still tired and lethargic. I took it easy, stayed warm and had an early night.
Saturday, March 6th
A new toilet roll holder, a cookery lesson from Karen, and a genealogy breakthrough.
I woke after a good night’s sleep, feeling much better. I made a pot of tea and had a 20‑minute massage before checking emails. Yesterday I bought a shiny new toilet roll holder after the old one snapped. This morning, I cleverly unscrewed the old base and replaced it with the new chrome one. I can now have a shit knowing the toilet paper is within reach, not hiding in the sink drawer or bidet.
My beautiful sister rang me on Skype and gave me a cookery lesson that rivalled anything on TV. Thank you, Karen. More videos soon, please.
The weather was still overcast and cool, so I had another restful day, or as relaxing as it can be when Arsenal are playing. I lay on the sofa shouting, swearing and getting wound up as Arsenal only managed a 1–1 draw with Burnley.
After the game, I did some genealogy research and was delighted to break through a brick wall, discovering a wealth of information about my 3rd-great-grandfather, Lewis Lewis, and his family. I got so caught up that it was nearly midnight before I stopped for a milky drink and went to bed.
Sunday, March 7th
A rainy day, honey‑garlic chicken, and hours lost in genealogy.
I slept well and felt better this morning. I went straight to the computer to work on the genealogy section of my website. At 11:30, I realised I hadn’t eaten or drunk anything, so I turned off the computer and made a pot of tea. It was still raining, a wet day ahead.
I prepared honey‑garlic chicken thighs in the slow cooker to serve with mashed potatoes, peas, broccoli, and cauliflower. Once dinner was on, I settled back into website work while keeping one eye on the football.
Monday, March 8th
Breakfast with Jacqueline, a signed book, and a painful leg.
As the rain had stopped and the sky cleared, I met my friend Jacqueline at La Encarnación for breakfast. It was great catching up, and she gave me one of the original copies of her book as a present.
I’d had pain in my right leg for a couple of days, so on the way home, I stopped at the doctor’s to make an appointment for tomorrow. In the afternoon, I rested at home with my leg propped up, which eased the pain.
Tuesday, March 9th
A doctor’s visit, antibiotics, deep sleep, and a terrible Pompey match.
I was up early for my 09:00 doctor’s appointment. Just in case I needed hospital admission, I packed a bag with essentials, laptop, Kindle, shaving kit and a decent flannel (hospital ones are awful). My neighbour, John, drove me because I couldn’t have walked.
The doctor gave me antibiotics to start immediately and told me to return in two days. I also had my regular Sintrom blood test. After picking up my medication from the pharmacy, John took me home.
I took my tablets, applied the cream, lay on the sofa and was soon fast asleep. I woke around 14:00, had one of my curries from the freezer with rice, and fell asleep again. Later, I woke with a terrible headache, but the leg pain was already easing.
My friend Pete in the UK suggested watching the Pompey game to help me sleep. I watched it, fell asleep, and Pompey lost 2–0. I waited until midnight to take my last antibiotic of the day, then went to bed.
Wednesday, March 10th
Improvement, salmon for lunch, and a day of films and football.
I slept very well and woke feeling better. My leg wasn’t as tight or sore. I took my antibiotics at 08:00 and had another nap. Later, I did some genealogy research before cooking lunch, salmon fillets shallow‑fried and served on rice with a honey‑mustard sauce. It tasted great, and I must be getting my appetite back because I ate all four fillets.
The antibiotics were working quickly, though they are huge, hard to swallow and smell horrible. After lunch, I took my next tablet and fell asleep watching a film. The evening was spent watching football and dozing through more films.
Thursday, March 11th
A follow‑up appointment, breakfast with friends, and another stressful Arsenal match.
I went back to the doctor this morning. My blood test results were satisfactory, and he thought my leg looked better, but he was concerned about my breathing. He listened to my lungs; they were fine, but he booked me for an ECG test and a cardiologist appointment on Monday in Cartagena. I’m pleased I’ll soon get answers about my breathing.
Afterwards, I met my friends Sheila and Bernard for breakfast at the San Yuan bar. I then had to go to the ASSSA office, and Sheila kindly drove me there. I arranged new cheque books for my treatment and had Monday’s hospital trip authorised.
When I got home, I put my feet up and watched a film. Even though I hadn’t done much, I felt worn out.
In the evening, I watched Olympiakos vs Arsenal. After being told I need to see a cardiologist, the game didn’t help. Arsenal were in complete control, then gifted Olympiakos an equaliser and came under pressure. Luckily, they scored two more goals and went into the home leg with a 3–1 lead. I hoped they would avoid any more stupid mistakes.
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