In week 10 of 2024, I watched Arsenal win two games and go top of the Premier League. I had lots of deliveries, did lots of work and had some bad news about my flights for my cruise in April.
Monday, 4th March.
I woke up around 7:45 am, got myself a coffee, and sat at my computer to work. Most of the day was spent working on my computer and waiting for my delivery from Amazon to arrive.
My new mini video camera finally arrived from Amazon late in the afternoon. I started to unpack it and set it up, but because my eyes were sore, I just checked that everything was in the box and plugged in the battery/handle to charge. I hope to have time to learn how to use my new video camera before I go on my cruise at the end of April.
Tonight, I watched the Sheffield United vs Arsenal game on the TV. Before the game, I predicted the score on the Arsenal website, which I do for every game. I had predicted that Arsenal would score in the 5th minute and win 0-8. I was close to being correct. When Arsenal did score in the 5th minute, they could have already been 0-2 in front. They blew Sheffield United away in the first half and led 0-5 at halftime. The second half was somewhat of a letdown as Arsenal only added one more goal and won 0-6. They were able to give a lot of players game time, some returning from injury and others who hadn't played a lot this season, whilst giving some players a rest in the second half. Their form in the Premier League this calendar year is fantastic; they have played 7 games, scored 31 goals and only let 3 in.
I went to bed just after 11 pm, a very happy Gooner.
Tuesday, 5th March.
I woke up a little after 7 am this morning. I got up and got a coffee before sitting at my computer to do some administration work on out-of-date URLs on the Google Index website. Just after 10 am, I collected a delivery from a local pick-up point and took my parcel home to check.
At around 11:45 am, I headed towards Los Narejos to meet my friend Martin. We sat chatting at La Sombre Pizzeria and were joined by Kate. I was standing up when Aria's school bus arrived, so I said I would collect her from the bus. As Aria got off the bus, she collected her bag and beamed at me as I walked towards her. As I approached her, a bus attendant approached me in Spanish and correctly asked me if I knew Aria and who I was. Before I could answer, Aria told the bus attendant, in Spanish, that she did know me, took my hand in hers and walked me back towards La Sombre. We all sat back down and chatted for a while before leaving to go home.
As I went past Rio Nalon, I bumped into my friend Andy Leigh, who I hadn't seen for a long time. We chatted briefly and arranged to meet for a chat 10 minutes later at Rocco's bar. I went to Rocco's bar and sat down with my friend Dave and some other people. After a short time, they left, and I waited for Andy to arrive. When Andy arrived, I got us both a beer and something to eat, and we sat chatting for a while before leaving to go home. As I passed La Petit Bistro, I was called back by my friend Jasmine and stopped to have a short chat with her before I left to go to Harry's bar. I had a quick beer there before leaving and going home.
When I got home, I cooked dinner and ate it in front of the TV. After eating my food, I watched television for a while but soon went to bed.
Wednesday, 6th March.
I woke up around 8 am and immediately got a coffee and cereal. I worked on my computer all morning, stopping for a sandwich at lunchtime before adding photos to my website all afternoon and evening.
Thursday, 7th March.
I woke up at 7 am and got up immediately because I was expecting a delivery. When I checked, the delivery hadn't reached the local depot yet, so at around 10:30 am, I met my neighbour Liz at Buena Vista restaurant for a coffee. We sat chatting and went back to our apartments at about midday.
I watched some TV while I waited for my delivery, which didn't arrive until around 4 pm. After checking my parcel, I did a few online tutorials on how to use my new video camera.
This evening, I finished watching the TV series, Mr Mercedes. I did guess the ending, but not until the last episode. It was excellent.
Friday, 8th March.
I woke up at around 5:30 am this morning. Unable to get back to sleep, I worked on my computer until I met my friend Tony at Buena Vista restaurant. We sat talking for a few hours before returning to my apartment. Tony had loaned me some books and only wanted some of them returned. He collected the books he wanted back before he then went home.
I took the rest of the books and donated them to the book section at the Time4AChange book swap. After dropping the books off, I went to the Dia store and got myself some croissants and ham for lunch. This afternoon, I worked on my website, stopping at around 5:30 pm to get ready for when my friend Jim picked me up to go to dinner.
Jim picked me up at around 6:20 pm, and we drove to the Roda bar, where we met old friends Dave and Jayne Farrer. We had just sat down and got a drink when more friends, Dave and Doreen, arrived to join us. We had a couple of drinks before going to Campbell's bar for dinner. We had gone for a fish and chip dinner, but I changed my mind because I had already got some fish out of my freezer for dinner tomorrow. While my friends tucked into their fish and chips, I enjoyed a lovely steak and chips with mushrooms, spinach and pepper sauce. My meal was fantastic, and after letting it settle for a while, I ordered a piece of Bailey's cheesecake. I didn't want it, but our lovely waitress, Lauren, twisted my arm and forced me to have it.
When we had finished our meals and chatted for a while longer, we all left, and Jim dropped me off at home, arranging to collect me to go out for lunch on Tuesday next week. When I got home, I watched tonight's boxing on the TV. I stayed up until around 2:30 am to watch the fight between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou. After staying up so late, the fight ended in a few minutes when Joshua knocked out Ngannou in the second round. He had already put Ngannou on the floor twice, once in the first round and again in the second round, before knocking him unconscious. Luckily, Ngannou did come round and after the ringside doctors had checked him over, he could get up independently.
Saturday, 9th March.
I woke up at around 7:30 am but went back to sleep again. I woke again at around 9 am and got myself a coffee and some cereal before working on my computer for a few hours. I stopped work at lunchtime and had a homemade pie for lunch, not a pie I had made, but one my friend Martin had made for me.
After lunch, I watched some of the day's football before settling on my sofa for the Arsenal vs Brentford game. Just before the game started, my phone buzzed, and I had a message telling me the delivery I had been waiting for had been made. Nobody had rang the security video system to be let in and nobody had knocked or rang my apartment doorbell. My delivery was outside my apartment door when I checked my front door. The delivery driver must have made a delivery to another apartment as he hadn't rung me for access to the block, and he hadn't even bothered to knock on my door. He had just left it on my doormat and left.
A short time after I had taken my parcel in, the Arsenal game started. Arsenal were playing well and were leading 1-0 when, just before the halftime whistle, the Arsenal goalkeeper for the day, Aaron Ramsdale, made a ridiculous mistake. He tried to clear the ball but only kicked it against an on-rushing Brentford player. The ball rebounded off the player and went into the Arsenal goal. With just seconds to go in the first half, the game was now 1-1. In the second half, the game was much more difficult for Arsenal, but they kept going and Kai Havertz scored again, and Arsenal won the game 2-1, which took them to the top of the Premier League.
I went to bed after watching MOTD to see the Arsenal game again.
Sunday, 10th March.
I woke up at around 8 am today. I got up, checked my computer messages, and discovered a message from KLM, the airline that NCL had booked the flights for my cruise. I got myself a coffee and then sat down to read the message. It informed me that the first flight NCL had booked to get me from Madrid to Amsterdam on my way to Los Angeles and then Honolulu had been cancelled. They gave me a contact number to contact them to arrange another flight, but because NCL had booked it, they would have to make the call. I tried to contact them, but no one was working in the flight department on a Sunday, so I emailed them about it.
At around 10:40 am, I walked downstairs and met my neighbour Liz. We walked to Buena Vista restaurant and had coffee and a tostado for breakfast. We sat chatting til midday and then went back to our apartments. I checked my computer and found that the NCL email address is no longer being used. I have to phone them again on Monday morning so that they can book alternative flights.
For lunch, I had another one of the pies that Martin had given me and left the last one out to eat that evening. In the afternoon, I added many tags to photos in the photo albums on my website. This will make it easier for me to show images from different photo albums on my website or show just a few photos from one album rather than all of the album.
This evening, I watched the Liverpool vs Manchester City football match. The winner of the game would have gone to the top of the Premier League, but I was thrilled when the game finished 1-1, which meant that Arsenal would stay top. I had a couple of cans of San Miguel Raddler beer to celebrate and then did some work on my website. I finished the night by watching TV, waiting to watch MOTD before going to bed.