Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of birthday celebrations, website work, cold weather, films, errands, and helping friends. You kept things steady and warm indoors while continuing to make progress on your projects.
Monday, 22nd January
I woke around 07:30 and had a ginger lemon tea because I had run out of coffee. I worked on my website until 11:30 before getting ready to go to the office. I met Martin and Dave just after midday, and we talked until Aria’s bus arrived at 14:20.
Kate phoned to say she was at Iceland and had picked up some Quaker Oats porridge for me. She dropped it off before I left for Mercadona, where I bought coffee and treated myself to a burger from the deli counter. I then went to La Petit Bistro to meet Alan, and after a couple of beers we moved to Harry’s Bar for a couple more. I stopped at Rocco’s to say hello to Rachid before heading home.
Back home, I watched films and went to bed around 22:00.
Tuesday, 23rd January
I woke around 08:00, had coffee and something to eat, and pottered around until 11:45. When I opened my front door, I found a birthday card and a present from Liz hanging on the handle. She had bought me several tins of baked beans for my Heinz baked bean birthday. A lovely gesture.
At the office, I ordered a birthday pint and read my Kindle until Martin arrived at 13:00 with Kate. Dave joined us, followed by Jez and Sean. Later, Terry arrived. Martin left around 16:00, and Terry went to Mercadona, asking me to meet him at La Zona so he could buy me a birthday drink.
After leaving La Zona, I walked along Rio Nalon and saw many friends. I had drinks with most of them, so I cannot remember exactly who I saw or which bars I went into. When I got home, I checked my messages. I had received over 200 birthday wishes via Facebook, email and direct messages. I watched TV for an hour before bed.
Wednesday, 24th January
I woke around 08:00, had coffee and worked on my website. After yesterday’s drinking, I had no desire to go anywhere. I turned the heating on and spent the day under a blanket watching films or working on my website. I stayed in my pyjamas all day and went to bed around 22:30.
Thursday, 25th January
I woke around 05:00 and could not get back to sleep. I had coffee and worked on adding details to my Costa Toscana photo album. At 10:15, I met Liz and we walked to Buena Vista for coffee and tostada. We chatted until 11:30.
Back home, I worked on my website for a couple more hours before watching a film. I tried watching Gandhi earlier in the week but fell asleep, so I tried again. I was surprised it began in South Africa. I fell asleep again and decided to watch it properly another day. I looked up Ben Kingsley and was surprised to learn he was born Krishna Pandit Bhanji in Yorkshire.
In the evening, I had dinner and flicked through TV channels. Kate messaged asking if she could pop in tomorrow for another document scan. I went to bed at 22:00 and fell asleep immediately.
Friday, 26th January
I woke around 06:30, had coffee and worked on my computer. At 09:45, I messaged Kate to say I would be out briefly, then dropped rubbish at the bin and bought bread from Dia.
When I got home, I read on Facebook that the body of a young boy who went missing in the Mar Menor earlier this year had been found. The town hall declared three days of mourning.
Kate arrived as I was making a bacon sandwich. I scanned her document and she left. I finished my sandwich, loaded the dishwasher to run overnight and emptied Peggy, my robot vacuum cleaner, before setting her off to clean the apartment.
I worked on my website for a few hours before watching TV and going to bed around 22:30.
Saturday, 27th January
I woke around 06:00, had coffee and porridge, then put washing in the machine and loaded the dishwasher. I worked on my website until 14:00, then sat on the sofa to watch Gandhi again. This time I stayed awake and watched it all. Gandhi was an incredible man, and I have nothing but admiration for him.
For dinner, I had a couple of chicken rolls before watching TV and going to bed at 22:00.
Sunday, 28th January
I woke around 06:30, had coffee and worked on photos for my Custer State Park album. At 10:30, I had a bacon sandwich before continuing my work. By 13:30, I was cold and hungry again, so I had porridge with banana, blueberries, walnuts and honey. The temperature dropped quickly when the sun went behind the clouds.
I put on my mittens, turned on the heating and continued working. Liz messaged asking for help with her computer, so I went downstairs. It was an easy fix, and I was back home within 15 minutes.
I finished the photo album and uploaded it to my website. By 15:00, I was tired, so I lay under a blanket watching football. I watched another film and went to bed around 22:00.
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