This week, I decided that after a few weeks of starting to swim more, I would try to step up the distance I was swimming and go swimming every morning. I will note how far I swim each day from now on.
Monday, 26th June.
I woke up around 7:00 am today. I had a coffee and then went down to the Mar Menor to feed the fish and go for my swim. I finished my swim and returned to my apartment earlier than normal because I would take my friend Jackie's laptop computer to her. Cindy was still asleep when I left at around 10:15, so I didn't see her before I left. I arrived at Jackie's at around 10:25, and we sat talking for a while while I explained what I had done.
Jackie then explained that she seemed to be getting lots of junk email so I had a look at it so I could explain how to block the junk mail. It turned out that the thing generating the most junk email was Jackies Facebook account. She had unknowingly joined lots of Facebook groups and allowed all of them to message her about absolutely everything. I began to alter this for her, but as it was such a big job on such a slow laptop, we arranged for me to finish it next week on my computer at home. This would be a lot quicker and would also allow me to show her how to do it herself and give me time to write up a guide on how to do it so that she could refer back to it. I finished working with Jackie and went on to see my friend Martin at LaSombre pizzeria.
I sat with Martin, his daughter Aria and his wife Kate until about 2 pm and then returned to my apartment. When I got home, Cindy was out at the beach getting some sun. I made myself a chicken roll and left some chicken and a roll-out for Cindy when she returned from the beach.
This evening was quiet, I watched the television, looking for transfer news for Arsenal and chatted with Cindy.
Tuesday, 27th February.
I woke up around 7:30 am today. I had a coffee and then swam in the Mar Menor. The water was quite calm when I started, but the sailing school was training some youngsters in different types of kayaks and canoes and the wake the small speed boats caused made swimming difficult. When the instructors saw me swimming, they moved a bit further offshore, but the wake of the boats still produced some waves on the normally flat water.
I finished my swim and went back indoors at around 9:30 am. Cindy was on the balcony and we decided to go for a walk and to get a coffee after I had changed. We walked along the promenade to Rio Nalon and went to Punto y Coma for a coffee and a tostada. After we left the cafe, we went to the bank at the end of the road so that Cindy could get some money.
Unfortunately for Cindy, the bank would not give her any money. She thought it might be the bank's ATM and said that she knew the bank near the church near my home worked with her card. So she wouldn't get lost, I walked with her towards the church near me, but I told her I didn't think there was a bank near the church close to me. As we approached the church, I was getting puffed out so we sat at a cafe and had a bottle of water whilst I got my breath back. Whilst we sat there, I checked with my friend June what time we would be going out this evening for a meal at The Wok 222 Buffet, she said she would pick us up at 8 pm.
After talking to Cindy about the bank she wanted to go to, I realised she meant a bank down in Los Alcazares where there is another church. We set off and walked the rest of the way into Los Alcazares to the bank Cindy thought she remembered. After she looked outside for the ATM and couldn't find it, I pointed out that it was inside the bank and she went inside. Luckily for Cindy, this ATM worked, and she could draw some money. We then walked back along the beachfront towards La Playa bar to get a drink but found it closed, so we continued towards my apartment.
When we got back to the apartment, I was puffing like a steam train, after walking to the cafe for breakfast and looking for an ATM we walked around 6.5 km. I rested on the sofa and took a painkiller because my knee was aching whilst Cindy went to the beach to get some sun.
June picked us up at 8 pm this evening, and we went to the Wok 222 buffet in Los Narejos. Unfortunately for me, after taking my first bite of food, my Acid Reflux went into overdrive, and I had pains in my chest and had to walk it off outside. When I returned, June and Cindy were enjoying their meal, and I finished my small plate of food before getting a bowl of soup and then a second plate of food. The food was all very good, and I will return soon. Next time, though I will bring my glasses as I kept walking past what I was looking for. It would be nice if the foods were all labelled on the glass serving bain-maries so that people knew what each item was before taking it.
We went to La Ola bar for a drink when we left the restaurant. The girl there was overworked, as she was the only one working when we arrived. She got herself in a bit of a muddle taking our order. We asked for a glass of wine for myself and June and a small beer for Cindy. She seemed to have forgotten our order as she was a long time returning with our drinks, and when she did, June got a glass of wine, Cindy got a pint of beer, not a small beer, and I didn't get a drink at all. She disappeared, serving other tables, and it was about another 15 minutes before she remembered to come back with my glass of wine.
We sat talking until around 11:15 pm. When we left, June dropped Cindy and me back at my apartment. I wasn't quite ready for bed and got a shandy and sat in my balcony garden, Cindy joined me for a beer, and we talked until around 12:30 am before I left Cindy on the balcony and went to bed.
Wednesday, 28th June.
I woke up around 7 am and checked my messages on my computer before going for my morning swim at around 8 am. I swam for around an hour, returned to my apartment, and got a coffee at about 9:15 am. Cindy must have heard me moving around the apartment and poked her head around the door of her room to tell me that she would be staying in her room today as she didn't feel well. I hoped she recovered soon as she hasn't got much of her holiday remaining.
I checked online to see if Arsenal had signed any new players yet and had a coffee. At 10:30 am, I walked along the beachfront to go to Punto y Coma for breakfast, but when I got there, it was closed. I turned around, walked back along the beach, and went to Buena Vista Restaurant for breakfast. I watched the world go by while I had breakfast and then walked back to my apartment.
I sat at my computer and did some family tree research until around 2:30 pm. Cindy still hadn't surfaced so I walked around to the D´Pollo takeaway restaurant around the corner from me. I got lamb shoulder with potato for my dinner, which only cost €5.50, and walked back to my apartment. Unfortunately, as soon as I tasted the meal, my acid reflux returned with a vengeance. I could only eat a little before I had to stop and save it for later.
Around 3 pm, Cindy went out for a walk. I hope she managed to enjoy herself more than I did this afternoon. Not long after she left, the acid reflux started up again, and I was soon coughing stomach acid up into a bowl. This continued for a few hours before it subsided, and I fell asleep for half an hour. Unsurprisingly, when I woke up, I felt hungry, but this time, the acid reflux didn't start when I ate the rest of my lunch. In the afternoon, I was asked by some friends if I wanted to go to a charity event at Campbell's bar. My friend Alan was performing and could pick me up. I didn't feel going out whilst still feeling a bit rough was a good idea, and I had to decline the kind invitation.
Around 5 pm a delivery driver arrived with the last two shirts I ordered about a month ago. I am pleased with all of the shirts but very displeased that the four shirts came in three different packages and arrived on three different days.
Later in the evening, I could eat some cheese and biscuits and felt a little better. Once I felt better and realised that I wouldn't be throwing up any tablets that I took, I swallowed an Omeprazole for my acid reflux and then took the other tablets I had to take after my evening meal.
This evening I had a Lightroom training session booked online. It was based in America and didn't go live until 10 pm. As it started, Cindy returned from her walk. She didn't disturb me and went to bed to let me finish my training and concentrate on my work. It was interesting and helped me understand some of Lightroom's new capabilities. I will soon start my photography hobby again and then I can start to teach myself new Lightroom tricks.
I took my last tablets at around 11:30 pm and went to bed. I hoped I would fall asleep quickly and wake up feeling a lot better.
Thursday, 29th June.
I woke up at around 7:45 am, quite late, and immediately went to the Mar Menor for a swim. My arms seemed to be a bit heavy this morning, and not wanting to push myself too much after feeling unwell yesterday, I just swam out to the rock and back once before going back to my apartment for a shower.
After I had had a shower and made myself look even more handsome than normal, I had some muesli with soy milk. Soy milk doesn't taste too good, but it is supposed to be better for my cholesterol levels than normal milk. After trying almond and soy milk this week, I will go with almond milk. I prefer the taste slightly over soy milk.
By 10 am, Cindy had still not woken up, and I decided to walk along the beach before it got too hot. I walked along to see if my friend Vince wanted to get a coffee. We went to La Favorita Gastro Café in Los Alcazares and sat chatting for an hour before moving on to Club Nautica, where we chatted and had a small beer.
At around 1 pm, Vince returned to his apartment, and I walked back along the beach to my apartment. When I got in, I was puffed out and sopping wet from sweating in the humid mid-day sun. As I got in Cindy was preparing to go out and waited whilst I had a quick cold shower and a change of shirt. We then walked along to Rio Nalon to go to Rocco's bar. We were both very hot when we got there and ordered a bottle of water. We sat talking to a few other customers there, and mid-afternoon, I walked along to Perlitas bar for a drink to see my friends Kate and Joe, where I was joined by my friend Colin. After finishing our beer, we returned to Rocco´s bar to see Cindy. Colin didn't stop for long and after a short time, Cindy and I walked to the Hotel Costa Narejos for a drink. The early happy hour has finished here now, and we went there just so we could sit inside in a comfortable air-conditioned bar. The cold air conditioning soon revived us, and after having a Gin and Tonic there, we walked back up Rio Nalon and stopped outside the 19th Hole pub. We sat and had a Pina Colada before moving on to Perlitas bar and then onto Rocco's bar again. We sat outside Roccos chatting and drinking beer until 1 am and then walked home along the beach.
When we got home, we got a cold beer from the fridge, went out to my balcony and sat chatting till about 4:30 am, when we eventually went to bed.
Friday, 30th June.
I got up at around 8 am, but it was very windy outside, and the waves on the Mar Menor were quite big, so I decided not to go for a swim. I got myself a coffee and some cereal and sat at my computer. After all the walking yesterday, my leg was a little swollen, and my knee ached a lot this morning, so I decided to have a quiet day indoors with my feet up.
At around 3 pm, Cindy surfaced and walked along the beach. I sat looking for any news on Arsenal signing any new players. It was announced that they have signed Kai Havertz from Chelsea and are very close to signing Declan Rice from West Ham and Jurriën Timber from Ajax. They are beginning to build a squad that could challenge on all fronts again next year.
Cindy got back at about 10 pm from her walk, and a short time later, I took another painkiller because my knee was still aching before going to bed early.
Saturday, 1st July.
I woke around 7:30 am and got a drink before sitting at my computer to check my messages. I sent my sister Karen the obligatory ´Pinch and Punch for the 1st of the month´ message and then went down to the Mar Menor for my swim at about 8 am.
There were hundreds of small jellyfish in the water this morning. It looks as if another lot of young jellyfish must have hatched recently. I avoided colliding with most of them, but they are all harmless. After overdoing it on Thursday, my legs still ache, so I only do one lap to the rocks and back before returning to my apartment and showering.
At around 10:30 I go to the local shop to buy a French stick and some almond milk. When I get back I get myself and Cindy a bacon roll and then sit working on my website for a while. At around midday, I realised I had no mango tea left and went to the Mercadona store to get some. It was packed when I got there. I didn't walk around. I drove straight in on my disability scooter, got the bottles of mango tea, paid for them and returned home.
When I get home, I check Cindy in at the airport, print off her boarding pass, and confirm what time June will pick her up tomorrow to take her back to Murcia airport.
My knee was still aching this evening, and I took a painkiller and binge-watched a TV series called Zoo. It is quite entertaining and very thought-provoking.
I went to bed around midnight but had to close my bedroom window because of all the noise outside. My Spanish neighbours arrived from their homes in Madrid and Murcia, bringing lots of noise and unruly children with them. They like to sit up until the early morning, shouting at each other.
Sunday, 2nd July.
Last night's painkiller seemed to help. I slept well and woke up relatively pain-free at around 7 am this morning. I got some cereal and a coffee, took this morning's pills and sat at my computer. I didn't swim this morning because Cindy is catching her flight back to the UK this morning. Cindy was up and all packed at around 7:45 am, and at 8 am I phoned June to check she was up, at her request, to take Cindy to the airport at 9 am.
June arrived at 9 am and we set off for Corvera Airport to drop Cindy off. We dropped Cindy off at the airport, and June dropped me at my apartment before going home to get ready for lunch at Campbell's later. I sat at home and started to do some genealogy research for my family tree and found my great-grandmother, Maria Harris Read, on the 1921 census. I added the details I found to her details on my website and then began adding the same census details to the other members of her family.
June picked me up at about 12:45 pm, and we went to Campbells for dinner. We had our regular lunch; mine was roast lamb, and June had roast chicken. Sitting at the table next to us were my friends Vince and Jan with their daughter Charlotte and we chatted briefly as we ate dinner. My Acid reflux was playing up a little bit but I did manage to eat my dinner this week, even if it did take me some time to do so.
After we finished dinner, June took me home, and after a short nap, I sat down at my computer again to carry on my family tree research. Whilst doing so, I had a message from my cousin Geoff, telling me that his sister Janet had died this week. It was quite a surprise as we only exchanged jokes and messages on Facebook a few days ago. RIP Janet.
At around 1:30 am, I took a cold shower before bed. Cooling my body tempearture before I go to bed does seem to help me drop off to sleep easier.