In Week 36 of 2024, I spent a lot of time at home as I was unwell at the start of the week. By the end of the week I felt much better and went for a drink one day and a meal another night with good friends.
Monday, 2nd September.
I woke up quite late after going to bed so late last night. I got up around 8:30 am. I got a coffee and sat at my computer to check for messages. I then started to watch a couple of DaVinci Resolve videos to see how the software worked before attempting to put together a video on my day at Icy Strait Point in Alaska. Once I had gotten the basic idea of how to use the updated software, I began working on my video.
At lunchtime, I had a couple of pork rolls to eat. I was happy when my stomach didn't have any adverse response to my eating, and I sat back down at my computer. After eating my lunch, I called my Uncle Dave using Skype to call his landline. He has been having problems with his laptop, and this was the only way I could contact him. I didn't have much credit left on Skype, but we had a quick chat, and he told me he is getting his computer fixed soon, so we will be able to talk easily in the future.
Once I had finished talking to Dave, I messaged my friend June and arranged for her to pick me up from Alicante when I returned from my holiday to Japan. Once this had been done, I went online to the Movelia website and booked my bus to the airport for when I went on holiday. I am happy that all my transport has now been sorted out, and apart from getting my vaccinations, I am ready to go.
This afternoon, I carried on working on the video of my day at Icy Strait Point in Alaska. In the evening, I ran some link checks on my website, and I discovered some broken links and some links to images that no longer exist. I corrected these errors and then left the check to run again. Once the check had reported that my links were all correct, I went to bed. I was surprised to find that it had gone midnight when I retired.
Tuesday, 3rd September.
I woke up late today, at around 8:30 am. I got up, took my tablets, and then sat down to work on my computer. I spent a couple of hours working on the video for my excursion to search for bears in Icy Strait Point in Alaska.
As I was leaving my apartment building to go out this morning, I saw an English couple in the garage who said hello. It turned out they had just arranged to purchase an apartment in the building. The apartment in question is owned by a woman who doesn't pay any of her maintenance charges and has thousands of euros debt against the property. I told them to check that this had all been cleared before they signed off on the apartment and also told them about the remedial work that had to be done on the property. The owner had not told them about it. It won't make a lot of difference in the price, but I felt they should be made aware of this before they sign off on the apartment.
When I left the apartment, I went to the post office to see if I had any mail. I will be pleased when they start deliveries again. After leaving the post office, I went to the doctors' surgery to make some appointments. I have to see a doctor and get my INR blood test. I called in at the surgery and made an appointment to see a doctor tomorrow and to have my blood tests next Monday. I was dealt with by a young receptionist who I hadn't seen before. He seemed to know what he was doing, but for some reason, he didn't inspire me with confidence. The surgery does seem to have a lot of very young receptionists working there for short periods. I wonder if they are doing something like work experience from school or college. When I left the surgery, I went to Economy Cash and got a few bits of shopping.
After getting home, I got myself a drink and sat at my computer to work. I went to print something from my computer, but my printer wasn't working. It had run out of ink, but when I went to top up the ink tanks on it, it wouldn't accept any ink. I ran all the usual tests on it, connected it to the manufacturers' website and could not diagnose an error. I remembered that when I bought it, I had paid for a two-year extended warranty, so I looked for that so I could send it back. I then discovered that the warranty expired two years ago and that my printer was no longer covered. I guess I have had it longer than I thought. I looked on Amazon and found a replacement that was in a "back to school sale". It had a 35% discount and came with three years of ink for free. I ordered one, and it should arrive on Thursday.
Tonight, I finished the video I had been working on and published it on my YouTube Channel. After it was done, I watched some more educational videos about my video editing software. It blows my mind how good it is and what I will be able to do with a free piece of software.
Wednesday, 4th September.
I woke up this morning, got up, got a coffee and sat down at my computer to do some work on my image collection before going to my appointment at 11:30 am.
At 11 am, I got on my disability scooter and went to the doctors' surgery. The regular receptionist, Rosa, was working. I was glad to see her as she is excellent. The young boy who helped me yesterday was next to her, helping someone else. Rosa checked me in, and I sat down. I was 10 minutes early for my appointment. Unfortunately, for the first time, I had to wait nearly an hour before seeing the Doctor. When I went in, the doctor gave me a prescription for the Typhoid tablets I had to take and said that the nurse could give me the Tetanus jab straight away. She said that she would ask her about the Hepatitis A jab as well. She called the nurse who remembered me and asked me how I was. She had dressed the wound on my leg several times. They spoke in Spanish, and the nurse went to look for the vaccinations.
I then asked the Doctor about the nail on my big toe. It has curled in on itself and is growing in. She took a look at it and said it needed cutting out. She made an appointment for me to have it done in San Pedro del Pinatar next Thursday. When this was all done, she sent me through to the nurse. The nurse is probably the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and I was glad to see her again. She asked me how I was doing and took a look at my leg before giving me the Tetanus vaccination. She then told me they didn't have the Hepatitis A vaccination there and asked me for my phone number. She told me she would try to find out where to get it and call me. I gave her my phone number and left to go to the pharmacy.
I went to the pharmacy on my mobility scooter. I collected the tablets for Typhoid, got some more of my regular sintrom and omeprazole tablets and got a bottle of mosquito repellent that the vaccination centre recommended I take to Japan. After I left, I decided to buy myself a cream cake on the way home. I stopped at the Bastida bakery on my way home, and unable to make up my mind about which pastry to have, I bought three and then left. I was going along the beachfront when my phone rang. It was the nurse from the surgery. I couldn't quite make out what she was saying, so I went back to the surgery to see her.
When I saw the nurse, she explained that she had been told that I would need to go to Cartagena for the vaccine. I thought this was very strange, but she gave me the address of where I had to go, and I went home. When I got home, I read the address the nurse had given me and realised she was sending me back to the vaccination centre I had been to, which had sent me to my doctor. I didn't think this could be correct, but the surgery was closed until this evening, and I couldn't check. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it was incorrect. When the pharmacy reopened, I walked there and asked the pharmacist about the Hepatitis A vaccine. The lady there said she could order one, and I could collect it at 10 am tomorrow. I paid for it, took the receipt and went back to the doctors' surgery. I explained to the receptionist on duty what had happened, and she asked the nurse if I could bring the vaccine in tomorrow. He said it would be fine. I have no idea what the mix-up about the vaccine was; maybe I will find out tomorrow. I walked home and was soon back at my computer working on my website.
This evening, I watched some educational YouTube videos, sent a few messages to different people to try and organise a lift to the doctor next week and watched a bit of TV before going to bed at 10 pm.
Thursday, 5th September.
When I woke up this morning at 5 am, my arm was a bit sore, where I had been given the tetanus injection yesterday. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I got coffee and sat at my computer. I did the Wordle puzzle online and worked on my computer for a while. Once I had woken up properly, I got a glass of water and took my regular tablets and the first of the Typhoid tablets I had been given.
I then started to work on the images on my computer, tagging them with people's names and the places they were taken in. Just before 10 am, I walked to the pharmacy near my house and collected the Hepatitis A vaccine that I ordered yesterday. When I had collected the vaccine, I went next door to my doctors' surgery and waited to see the nurse. I had to wait about 20 minutes, but the nurse quickly injected me with the vaccine and asked me where I was going on holiday. I guess it is a vaccination that he gives to holidaymakers a lot as he guessed I was going on holiday. I told him that I was going to Japan in October, and he made a note of it on the computer system, but I'm not sure why.
I left the surgery and walked back to my apartment, hoping that Amazon hadn't tried to deliver my printer while I was out. When I checked online, it wasn't close to me yet, so I sat down to work on my images again. I stopped around 1 pm and got myself a cheeseburger with mushrooms and an egg for lunch. I had another coffee as well, hoping that it would stop me falling asleep. I was a bit worried that as I had been up since 5 am, I might fall asleep and miss the Amazon delivery when it did arrive.
At 2 pm, I had a phone call from Amazon telling me that they were outside. I told them to ring the doorbell, and I would buzz them in. The entry system didn't buzz, and I was worried that they might be delivering the printer to the wrong place, so I went outside to find them. When I got outside, there was no one there. As I called the number back to see where they were, a delivery truck came round the corner. They hadn't been outside at all. I waited, collected my printer, and took it back to my apartment.
When I got inside, I unpacked the printer, checked that everything was there, and set it up where I wanted it. I then started to work out how to install the software and drivers for the printer on my computer. After reading all the paperwork that came with it, it turned out that to install the printer, you had to download an app to your mobile phone and use the app to install the printer. What a long-winded, ridiculous way of setting up a printer. After a couple of hours, I finished connecting the printer to my network and my computer and printed the test page. It all worked fine, and I am now able to print off my travel documents when I want them. I didn't have too much of a problem working out how to install the printer, but I used to do it for a living. I hate to think how anyone with no knowledge of setting one up would handle it. It used to be much easier when they provided you with a CD, or you just downloaded everything straight onto your computer.
After setting up the printer, I decided it was time for a break from the computer, and at nearly 5 pm, I sat in my recliner, had a massage and fell asleep. I woke again a couple of hours later. I watched some TV and went to bed around 11 pm.
Friday, 6th September.
I woke up and got up around 6 am today. I got myself a coffee and some cereal and sat down at my computer. I wanted to try to post some more of my photos and videos on my website and YouTube Channel today, so I started editing a video from my bear search excursion in Icy Strait Point, Alaska. I worked on these all morning and stopped for lunch around 12:45 pm. I got myself a cheeseburger with mushrooms, onions and fried egg and had it for lunch. When I had finished, I decided that I needed a break from the computer screen and to get out of my apartment for a while.
I knew that some people I knew were opening a new bar. Its official opening would be tomorrow, but I knew it would be open today, so I walked along to the bar in Los Alcazares, J&G Cocktails, to take a look and to see how long of a walk it was. The walk took me a little while, and I was puffed out by the time I arrived. I went inside and sat at the bar, got myself a drink and began talking to a man called Rob, who, it turned out, was also an Arsenal fan.
While I was sitting there, Gary, the owner came to have a chat with me and told me that as they had just received the paperwork they needed to open, I was their first customer. We sat talking for a while, and then Rob and I decided to test the pool table and have a game. I hadn't played for many years, but I used to love playing pool and was glad that there is a bar where I can go for a pool game in Los Alcazares now. It was a close game, but I managed to win.
We sat back down, and my friend Gary walked in and joined us for a drink. He is friends with the owner, Gary, and I sat talking with Gary and Gary for a while before having a couple of pool games with the owner, Gary. He beat me in both games, but I enjoyed playing again. I will have to dust off my pool cue, and if it is still straight, I will probably go along to the bar on a quiet afternoon for a pool game.
I sat at the bar after the games of pool and began talking to a man called Steve. We both recognised each other and worked out; we had been chatting late one night in La Playa bar one night last year. After a while, he went home but said he would be back soon and would come back with his son for a pool game. I sat with my friend Gary, who had some of his friends join him at a table.
Later on, Steve returned with his son and his wife and had a game of pool. I stood at the bar with Steve, chatting and watching the pool games play out. I was about to leave when Steve forced another beer in my direction, so I stayed for a little bit longer and stood chatting with him and his wife. When I finished my beer, I made my excuses and left. It was dark outside when I left and a lot cooler. I slowly walked home, and when I got to my apartment, I got some water and sat in front of the TV for a while. I was surprised when I looked at the time to see it was nearly 2 am. My short break from the computer had turned into an 11-hour beer and pool session. I was now exhausted but had thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon, evening and night.
Saturday, 7th September.
Unsurprisingly, I didn't wake up till later than usual today. I got up around 8:30 am and got myself a coffee before sitting at the computer to check for any messages. Also, unsurprisingly, I felt a little fragile after yesterday's marathon drinking session. I can´t drink like I used to and then get up and do it all over again the following day.
My friend Alison messaged me to arrange a time to pick me up later when I would be going out for a meal with her and Lottie. I spent the morning editing photos for my website. I put some photos from my visit to Skagway on my website and then posted a link to them on
Facebook. Within a few minutes, I received a message from Facebook telling me that the post had been removed as it violated their terms and conditions. I scoured the message again and again to see what had caused it to be removed. The only thing I could think that caused it to be removed was the word "brothel". In Skagway, the Red Onion Saloon is a tourist attraction, and when I was there, I was shown around by a character from the venue. The tour was fantastic, fun, and fascinating all at the same time. This was the only reason I could find for Facebook to remove the post, so I made a complaint to them about the removal and hoped they would reinstate it.
I dosed off in front of the television several times this afternoon. I put Amazon Prime on the TV and watched The Lord of the Rings, The Rings of Power. I had already seen the series, but as the next season is now being shown, I wanted to remind myself about the story. At 7 pm, I showered and got ready to go out with Alison and Lottie.
I walked outside at 7:30 pm and was picked up by Alison and Lottie, and the three of us drove to Restaurante El Señorío at Santiago de la Ribera. We sat outside in the beautiful courtyard. It looked even nicer as the sun went down and the lights in the courtyard were turned on, along with a lovely fountain in the centre of the courtyard. We all sat talking, and the waiter had to come back a couple of times before we were ready to order.
We ordered some baby squid and bread with ali oli to start, and as I ordered a steak with Roquefort sauce, Lottie told me to try a steak, which I think she called "solomillo". I let her order it for me, and when it arrived, I was so pleased that Lottie had told me to try it. It was beautiful and the best steak I have had in Spain. We sat eating and talking and swapping stories. I love listening to stories about her travels. Being someone who loves travelling myself, I am always interested in the places and the people she has met. It is Alisons' birthday tomorrow, and we made several toasts to Alison and also to old friends and memories.
After our meal, Alison dropped me at my apartment. I was shattered when I got home but still buzzing from the joy of the company, the wine and the excellent food. I finished watching some more of the Lord of the Rings series and went to bed around midnight.
Sunday, 8th September.
I slept well last night and woke up around 7:15 am. I got up, got a coffee and sat at my computer. I had a tranquil day at home. I did a little work on my computer but spent most of the day watching TV and catching up on episodes of Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power. I caught up to the point where I now have to wait for the next episode to be released.
I had some chicken with mixed vegetables for dinner, followed by some beautiful almond ice cream. I set my dishwasher running and went to bed at about 10:30 pm.