Week 49 of 2021 started quietly at home, moved on to an evening in the pub & finished when I went out for a curry with friends.

Week 49 of 2021.

Friday, December 3rd.

Today I woke around 7:45, I get up & get myself a coffee before sitting at my computer to work on my website. I have nothing planned today so I may be sitting at my computer for a long time. I spend the morning & a few hours of the afternoon adding metadata, adding Google structured data & tidying up the 500 or more pages on my website. It will take me some time to finish the job but is an ideal job for me when Im supposed to be taking it easy.

After having a late lunch or early dinner I pick up my kindle & walk along the promenade to La Playa Bar. I sit inside reading my Kindle, talking to old friends, meeting new ones & partaking in the establishment's finest beer. 

Saturday, December 4th.

My leg is a bit swollen today so I decide as I am going out for dinner with friends tomorrow, that today will be a day of rest. After making some updates to my website I settle down to watch MASH season one & various football matches. I don't end up watching much football as I was enjoying MASH too much. After watching all of season one, I watch the football highlights on MOTD before going to bed.

Sunday, December 5th.

I slept well last night & wake up feeling refreshed. I have a coffee, which I drink in front of my computer whilst checking my email & updating my website. I decide, as I am having lunch, with Agent Fisher & his lovely wife today, that I better make myself look presentable. I have a shower & a long overdue shave.

At lunchtime, my friends Bernard & Christina pick me up & we go to Campbells bar & restaurant in Roda for Sunday lunch. We had a beautiful meal, as always. Christina & I had roast lamb whilst Bernard had roast beef, knowing he would be able to steal some lamb from Christina's plate. We sat & chatted for a while & had a coffee to finish off our meal before I was dropped off at home.

This evening I went to see my friend Diana singing at La Playa bar on the promenade in Los Alcázares. It was a great night, listening to Diana sing & chatting with my friends Jim & John. We may even have had one or two glasses of lager to keep us from dehydrating.

It was late by the time I got home so I sent myself straight to bed with no tea & no television & I was soon in the land of nod.

Monday, December 6th.

After my coffee this morning I just played a game on my computer, Civilization VI, to kill time before going to Pizzería La Sombra for a weekly Monday morning business meeting.

I was a little late for the meeting because I had stopped to use an ATM machine on the way that didn't work & didn't seem to want to give my debit card back. I remembered afterwards that the card had now been replaced with a new one as Bankia cards have now been replaced with the new Caixa ones. My bank in Spain has changed ownership more times than a whore pulls their knickers down when the fleets in town. 

After leaving the bank I continued on my way to the meeting but stopped for a brief chat with my friend Jacquline who I saw walking home from her shopping trip. By the time I met Martin I was late for the business meeting & I was reprimanded for my punctuality before we began. Today's meeting wasn't as long as some have been recently & only 3 things were discussed. After the meeting finished I stopped off at home before walking along the promenade to La Playa bar where I had a pizza for my dinner before going home to watch the Everton v Arsenal football match. 

Arsenal was abysmal & was deservedly beaten by Everton 2 - 1. That said, how Everton finished with 10 men on the pitch is beyond my comprehension. Ben Godfrey deliberately stamped on Takehiro Tomiyasu’s face whilst he lay on the floor & even though VAR looked at it no action was taken against him.

Tuesday, December 7th.

I get up this morning & have what has now become my regular morning coffee, whilst I check my email, check for messages on Facebook & update my website.

My friend Colin has asked me for some help with his computer today so I kill time this morning by playing a computer game & then taking rubbish to the bin whilst I await his call to tell me he is ready for me to go round to help him. When he calls I am at the rubbish bin so I go straight to his house from there, he is coming back from the Doctor & I beat him back & wait for him.

After giving Colin my expert advice we go to Boochies bar for a swift beer. Whilst there we also see our friends Elaine, Lilly & Janice. I don't stay long before heading back to my apartment for some lunch. I have a lasagne from Kilo y Medio supermarket, it was very nice, unlike the Ravilo I had from the same place which was awful.

This evening I watch the Portsmouth v Sheffield Wednesday game on television which helps me get off to sleep quickly.

Wednesday, December 8th.

This morning I woke early, have a coffee at my computer, then shower & shave before going to the bank to get some money.

I had not been able to find an ATM that worked earlier in the week, & I needed money to go out for a meal later today. I tried both of the machines in the doorway of my bank but once again could get neither to work. Whilst trying to use one of them it was even turned off. I knew there was a new machine outside so went outside to try that one.

The new machine is twice the size of the old one & as you approach it the first thing you notice is your face looking back at you from a large monitor in the machine. The machine now has facial recognition capabilities. I tried to use my card & was pleased to say that this machine was working & that I could withdraw some cash after inserting my card & using my pin number.

After getting my money I returned home, going along the promenade to admire the beach. Once home I sat at my computer & my Uncle Paul attempted to Skype call me. He has been experiencing what I believe are ´User Initiated Errors´. He hasn't been able to contact me or be contacted by me for months. This time his cleaner has been able to get his computer on correctly, make the call & get the video to work. Unfortunately, he still has no sound so I can't hear a word he says.

At 1 pm I walk to the main road where I am picked up by my friends Pat & Sandra. We are going to Galin´s restaurant for a surprise birthday meal for our friend Bernard. His wife, Sheila, has organised the event & around 17 of us all arrive early to meet them. The meal was a set Christmas menu that the restaurant is currently offering during December. The food was really good & was finished off by a beautiful birthday cake that Sheila had ordered separately.

We all sat around eating, drinking & enjoying each others company on Bernards big birthday. He told me he was 35 years old but I am not sure if I believe him. Everybody else seemed to think he was 75 which I also don't believe. Bernard, I think we should settle on a compromise & say that you were 55.

After the meal, Pat & Sandra dropped me off at my apartment. I tidied up my kitchen, put on my dishwasher & then lay down on my sofa, where I sat for the evening drifting between sleep & interest in several Christmas movies that were on the television.

Thursday, December 9th.

I woke up very early this morning, at 5 am, as I was unable to get back to sleep I got up to work on my website.  I made a coffee, put the heating on for a while & then spent the next 3 hours at work on my computer before going back to bed for a couple of hours.

When I finally got up I made some porridge with raisins & bananas for my breakfast, which I ate watching Gordon Ramsey fix another restaurant, this time in New York. After breakfast, I then spent a few more hours catching up with my record-keeping for this year's budget. I have this year made a note of every penny I spent to help me know how much money I need to live on each year going forward. For lunch, I had a burger & then I worked on my website all afternoon.

This evening my friend Pat picked me up to go on a boys' curry night out. We met at the Trebol cafe/bar for a couple of beers before we went next door to the Masala Cottage Indian Tandoori restaurant. This is my favourite restaurant in Los Alcázares, I have always had great service & very good food every time I have been there. Tonight was no exception the six of us, John, Paul, Bernard, Gary, myself & Pat enjoyed good service, good food & great company.

After our meal, Pat dropped me off at my apartment where I went straight to bed. This week has been my most enjoyable for some time. Since my operation, I have felt more like going out & have been more sociable. Long may it continue. Thank you to everyone who has helped me out whilst I have not been so well & haven't felt like doing anything.