Most of this week was spent quietly at home, but I was led astray at the end of the week by my friends Stuart and Graham, who forced me to have one too many glasses of shandy.
Monday, 5th December.
Today, I woke up around 7:45 am. I got a coffee and sat at my computer working for 1½ hours or so before getting ready to go out to do some shopping. My friend George came to pick me up at 10 am and took me first to Mercadona and then to Consum to do some shopping. I got nearly everything I wanted and everything I needed before he dropped me at home. I unpacked my shopping bag, had another coffee, and then got on my disability scooter to meet my friend Martin.
I met Martin at La Sombre Pizzeria, where we spent a couple of hours chatting. Because of the tablets I am currently taking, I could not join him in enjoying a pint, but I did have a particularly nice bottle of still water. After we had put the world to rights, Martin picked his daughter Aria up, and I headed home. The battery on my disability scooter has, for some time, been getting worse and is no longer holding a charge. Today, I was lucky to get home on it. The battery died when I drove my scooter into the garage. When I left home, it had a full charge, and after doing around 6 km, it was now empty. I am going to have to find a battery online somehow, and another friend has said he will help me fit it, as the company that was going to service and fit a new battery has let me down twice.
When I got in, I made some chicken fingers in a spicy panko coating and ate them before I watched the Brazil vs Japan football match. Brazil were brilliant, they won the game 4 - 1. Japan tried very hard and never stopped, but they were just not at the same level as Brazil, who could have won the game by a much larger margin.
This evening, I got confirmation of the tickets that I purchased yesterday for a Simply Red concert in Murcia next year. I have also booked a night in a hotel there so that I can go to Murcia by bus in the morning, spend a day looking around, go to the concert at night and stay close by overnight. I can then get a bus home again the following day.
Tuesday, 12th December.
I got up around 7:30 am, got myself a coffee, and sat at my computer typing up one of my memories for my website. Mid-morning, I got a bacon and egg roll for breakfast and then carried on working on my notes. I noticed that my knees had started aching again this morning, and I am hoping that it is only due to the wet, cold weather today. They do seem to act like an inclement weather warning before I actually see what the weather is like outside.
I had intended to go to a charity fete in Los Narejos and see Father Christmas this morning, but after checking the bus timetables, I found that the local bus doesn't run on Sundays, Tuesdays or Thursdays. I can't believe this is permanent and hope it is only because there are a couple of local Spanish holidays this week. I will look again next week. If my disability scooter doesn't have a new battery by next Monday, I will have to use the bus service when I go to meet Martin for our weekly business meeting.
I settled down at home for a full day at the computer. I had quite a few images that I had to work on for the Genealogy section of my website. The day flew past today, I broke for a cup of tea and looked at the time, and it had gone 5 pm. I switched off the computer and spent the rest of the evening watching football or Police Interceptors on television. I can not understand how criminals get off some of these crimes. The police have video evidence of chasing someone for miles, catching them, searching them and finding them in possession of stolen goods and drugs. The police then carry out drink and drug tests, which are generally failed and arrest the people. At the end of the video, we are told that no charges were brought in court or that they got off. The police risk their lives against these scum bags and they get away with their crimes. It must be very demoralising for the police to arrest someone and for them to be out committing crimes the following week.
Before I go to bed, I log onto the George at Asda website. There is a direct website where you can order UK sizes from in Spain, whilst paying in Euros. Because I have been feeling cold more, I ordered three new sets of pyjamas, which I hoped would be here in the next week or so. Buying clothes in Spain is difficult for the larger gentleman; most of the stuff here will fit everywhere but around my calves or thighs. I even wonder if Spanish men have legs, as I can't get my legs through the holes for the feet in most of the trousers I see for sale in Spain. I finish my shopping and go to bed at around 11 pm.
Wednesday, 7th December.
I woke at around 6:30 am today, and after trying but being unable to get back to sleep, I turned on the heat in my apartment, got a coffee, and when I finished it, I took a shower. After my shower, I have some cornflakes and another coffee before I continue to add photos to the genealogy section of my website.
At around 10:40, I took a break from my computer and walked down to the chiringuito to get some fresh air for a short time. I have a cappuccino before heading back to my apartment to carry on working. Once again, I lost track of time and stopped work at about 5 pm to get myself some dinner. Tonight I made a mild chicken curry with basmati rice. It was very nice, and luckily, there was enough left for tomorrow.
There is no football tonight, and I watch Police Interceptors on television before switching over to watch the film Titanic. After my cruise last month, I am struck by how small the Titanic was compared to today's massive ocean-going liners. The Costa Toscana would have dwarfed the Titanic.
Thursday, 8th December.
I didn't wake up until around 7:50 am today. This was not surprising after not going to bed until after the film finished at about 1:45 am this morning. I got coffee, sat, and had a foot massage before taking a shower, and then I got cereal for breakfast. After breakfast, I continued to work on my website until my friend Bob came to help me find out which batteries I needed for my disability scooter. It really is annoying that I can't do some of the basic things that I used to be able to do. Because of my poor eyesight, I can't even see how to find the battery compartment on my scooter. I am lucky to have some good friends who are willing to help me.
After discovering which batteries I need for my disability scooter, I sent emails to three companies for a quote. I think they will cost around €400. It is a lot of money for two batteries, but the ones that are on the scooter at the moment are the original batteries, and I have had the scooter for over 3 years, and I am lucky that it hasn't cost me anything else to keep it going. It is my only transport, and I need to get the batteries.
Whilst at home, Bob messaged me and asked if I would like to go to the San Juan bar for lunch with him and his wife Connie. He came to pick me up just after, and we all went to the bar on the beach for something to eat. Toasted bacon sandwiches and coffees are ordered and devoured before we continue to Lidl to get some shopping.
This afternoon, I continued working on my computer until I went to bed at around 10:30 pm.
Friday, 9th December.
As soon as I got up this morning, I got my coffee and sat down to work on my website. Memories of a couple of my celebrity encounters had come back to me, so I started to write these down before I forget them. I also remember more of my travel adventures and am starting to write some notes about the memories before they fade. I do have to check with some of the people who came with me on the travels, and I had to get dates and places in the correct order. I used to go to America two or three times a year, and some of my memories merge with others, so I need to check that my memories are correct before I write them down and post them to my website.
I can't get two things out of my mind this morning: one is the size of the Titanic cruise ship compared to the ship I went on a few months ago, and the other is my desire to one day go to Casablanca. As if it had read my mind, the Internet showed me an advert for a cruise that would take me to both Tangier and Casablanca in Morocco. After reading about the cruise and looking at several different websites with different prices, I decided to book the cruise. I booked the cruise directly with MSC, and I now have something to look forward to next year.
I had intended to go for a pint this evening. I am beginning to forget what it's like to be in the company of other people. The temperature dropped, and it started to rain, so I stayed at home in the warm instead. I spend a few hours looking at things to do on next year's cruise, and go to bed at about 10:30 pm.
Saturday, 10th December.
Once again, as soon as I woke this morning, I got my coffee and sat down at my computer to work. I do seem to have a lot more energy to do anything in the mornings, and I like to get things done before my enthusiasm disappears for the day.
After working on my computer all morning, I decided to go out in the afternoon. I thought my friend Kate was singing Christmas Carols with one of the local ladies' groups today and decided to go and listen to them. I took some rubbish to the bins and walked to Rio Nalon and the bars where the ladies would be singing. As I got to Rocco´s bar, I saw my friend Colin and sat down to chat with him and see how he was doing. After chatting with Colin for a while, he went home, and I headed down to Perlitas bar, where the ladies were going to be singing.
When I arrived at Perlitas bar, I saw my friends Bernard and Christine, and I sat with them to listen to the singing. I can't see Kate at all, so I messaged her to see where she was and discovered I had her singing group mixed up with another group and that she won't be appearing there at all. I stayed and listened to the ladies who were singing, but both Bernard and I were told off for talking too much while the ladies were singing. Sorry ladies.
After the ladies finished singing, I walked down to Harry's bar and joined two more friends, Stuart and Graham, for a pint, a chat, and to watch some of today's football. After not having had a drink for a while, it started to take effect on me, and I don't remember much about the football. After the game finished, Stuart and Graham dragged me kicking and screaming to The Celt bar to watch the England football game. After one pint, I decided it was better to head home and walk back to my apartment.
When I got back to my apartment, I sat down in front of the television and pulled a blanket over me to keep the cold at bay. The next thing I knew, it was about 3 am and I had woken up on the sofa. I am comfortable and warm, so I turn over underneath the blanket and go back to sleep.
Sunday, 11th December.
After waking up for the second time today, I got myself a coffee and searched all the channels for a replay of the England vs France game. Although I remember the score of the game, France beat England 2-1, I don't remember much about the game itself, it was either too much beer or the cold weather that affected my memory of the game, I am leaning on the side of too much beer but you can never be too sure. I watched the highlights of the game, and I think England were unlucky to lose and unlucky to have a totally incompetent referee. The game was over, and England had lost, but I think with the experience they have had, the younger players will form the basis of a great team in the future. I hope that whoever the England manager is going forward, they will concentrate on the younger players and replace some of the older players in the squad.
This afternoon, I discovered a TV show called The Peripheral on Amazon Prime, and I can't stop watching it. I end up binge-watching it until about 2 am when I eventually go to bed.