Location: Los Alcázares, Spain.
Summary: A week of website work, socialising with friends, helping with tech issues, cooking pies, visiting bars, dealing with DWP frustrations and enjoying football, reading and warm weather.
Monday 17th April
I got up around 08:00 and sat at my computer to work on my website. I continued until around 11:30, then got on my disability scooter and met Martin. While we were there, Kate asked me to look at her computer tomorrow, and we arranged for her to come to mine in the morning. We sat talking at Pizzeria La Sombre until just after 14:30.
On my way home I saw my friend Joe outside his bar in Rio Nalon. I stopped to chat with him and his wife Kate. I had not seen them for a while and we sat outside talking in the sun until it started to get cooler around 20:00. I then headed back to my apartment.
When I got home I watched television before going to bed around 22:00.
Tuesday 18th April
I woke around 07:00 and continued working on my website. I worked until around 09:00, then got a coffee before making some pies. I was browning the meat when Kate arrived with her laptop. I finished browning the meat, fried onions and peppers and put everything into the slow cooker.
I then looked at Kate’s laptop and tried several ways to back up her photos and videos, but she did not have enough free space. She had an external hard drive but forgot to bring it. I copied some spreadsheets I had set up for Martin onto her laptop so they could print them when needed. I told her to come back with the external drive so I could finish the backup.
Around 13:00 Kate took her laptop home and dropped me at La Sombre to meet Martin. While we were chatting, Viv arrived and later gave me a lift home. When I got in I worked on more of my photos. Around 21:00 the slow cooker finished cooking the meat for my pies, and I separated it into pie dishes to cool.
Wednesday 19th April
The first thing I did was mash some sweet potatoes. I added the mash to the pies I made yesterday and put all but one in the freezer, keeping one for lunch.
I did more work on my website and added the photos from my trip to the Flower Festival to a gallery before backing up the site again. I had been having so many problems that I was removing sections one by one to find the cause. After each change I backed up the site so I would not lose too much work if it went down again.
I took a break and went to the chiringuito outside my apartment. I got a coffee and read my Kindle for an hour. When it got too hot I walked to D’Pollo to get something to eat. I had chicken in tomato sauce, which was very nice.
In the afternoon and evening I spent time reading my Kindle on the balcony.
Thursday 20th April
This morning I continued replacing sections of my website and backing them up immediately. I worked on the section about my escorted coach tour across the Southern States of America. After a few hours I stopped and walked to the Buena Vista Restaurant for a coffee and some Kindle reading.
I then went home and sat on my balcony reading and enjoying the warm weather before having lunch. Later, Alan Bond messaged to ask if I wanted to meet him at La Playa bar tonight. I watched some television and then got ready to go out.
I walked to La Playa bar and spent the night listening to my friend Gary play music and chatting with Alan, Bob, Derek and Ady. At the end of the night I walked along the beach but noticed two groups of young men acting strangely. They were watching me and one group disappeared into the shadows. After being mugged a few years ago I am more nervous walking home at night, so I called Shellie and Jim. Shellie kept talking to me on the phone and Jim came to meet me. Just as he arrived the last three youths disappeared. Jim walked me home and made sure I got in safely. Thank you, Shellie and Jim. It may have been nothing, but I did not want to take the chance.
Friday 21st April
I woke around 07:00, got a coffee and worked on my computer until around 10:00. At 10:00 I contacted the DWP in the UK. They still have not paid me money they owe me, and I was again querying why. The lady I spoke to was helpful and tried to contact the payments department but could not get through. I told her I wanted to make an official complaint and expected interest to be paid. She promised to keep trying and I told her I would call again next week if it had not arrived.
I read my Kindle this afternoon and sat in the sun on my balcony. In the evening I watched Arsenal play Southampton. Southampton scored almost immediately after an Aaron Ramsdale mistake and soon went 0-2 up. Arsenal pulled one back but Southampton scored again in the second half to make it 1-3. Arsenal threw players forward and scored twice late on to make it 3-3. They even hit the crossbar in the final seconds but could not win. Manchester City must now be favourites for the Premier League.
Saturday 22nd April
When I woke up I began changing more sections on my website, including the celebrity stories and recipes sections. Thankfully the changes did not cause any problems and I updated a few other sections too.
I took recyclable rubbish to the bins before going to D’Pollo for lunch. Today I had a breadcrumb-covered chicken fillet with chips. Once again the food was very good and great value.
I spent the afternoon working on more sections of my website before watching some football and going to bed.
Sunday 23rd April
I woke around 06:30 and checked that my website had backed up correctly before doing the last set of changes. Once I confirmed the backup was done I made the changes, and to my relief everything worked. The Genealogy section had been causing problems but was now working properly again.
At 12:45 June picked me up for lunch at Campbells in Roda. While we waited for dinner I found the cause of her Farcebook problem and fixed it quickly. I enjoyed my meal and afterwards we stopped at La Ola bar for a drink before June dropped me home.
When I got in, the Newcastle vs Tottenham game was starting the second half. Newcastle were already winning 5-0 and it finished 6-1. Oh dear, how sad, what a shame. Arsenal made me sad on Friday night, but Tottenham cheered me up today. I watched television in the evening before going to bed early.
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