Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain
Summary: A week of cold mornings, long waits, coffees with friends, birthday messages, website work, and a brilliant catch up with Gail and Rob. My new coffee machine finally arrived, I kept learning OneNote, and I spent plenty of time trying to stay warm while juggling technology, friends, and football.
Monday, 20th January
I woke around 07:00 and finally got out of bed an hour later, shivering as soon as my feet touched the floor. The heating went on straight away. Two emails were waiting for me, both promising that my long delayed coffee machine would finally arrive today. I did Wordle, cooked myself a fry up, and settled into a morning of website work.
When I needed a break, I unpacked the composter I had bought earlier in the year and assembled it on the balcony. It was simple enough, and I emptied the kitchen composter into it. At 12:30, the delivery I had been waiting for since the start of January finally arrived. My new coffee machine was here. I unpacked it like a child at Christmas, filled it with beans, and tested it. Even without milk, the first cup tasted wonderful.
I rode to Mercadona for milk and a few groceries, came home, and made my first proper coffee with milk. It was perfect. I spent the afternoon learning more about OneNote and organising my holiday documents. In the evening, I tried to fix my photo manager, but the database was corrupt. After hours of trying, I gave up and told myself it would look clearer tomorrow. Today’s theme seemed to be one problem solved, another one arriving.
Tuesday, 21st January
I woke at 04:30 and gave up trying to sleep. I made a large latte with my new machine and sat at my computer. Jim was online, so we chatted for a while. He was unwell, and I reminded myself that despite my moaning about the cold, I was still luckier than many.
I tried updating DigiKam again, and this time the database finally rebuilt itself. While it worked away, I updated more images on my website. Later, I went to Café Prensa to see friends, then met Martin and Dave at Mr 16 Kitchen for a beer. We drifted from bar to bar, ending up at La Zona before I finally headed home. By the time I got in, the temperature had dropped sharply, and I climbed straight into bed to warm up. I fell asleep almost instantly.
Wednesday, 22nd January
I woke around 08:00 and spent the morning working on my website until Lawrence phoned asking if I wanted coffee and lunch. I had no plans, so I agreed. We met at Café Prensa, where it happened to be Christine’s birthday. Theresa had made a cake, and we all shared it while chatting and laughing.
Afterwards, Lawrence and I drove to Venta Simón for lunch. I had chorizo pasta followed by grilled squid with chips, and a coffee flan for dessert. It was good, but not as good as the chocolate one I had last week. Back home, I wrapped myself in a blanket and watched TV until the Arsenal vs Dynamo Zagreb match. Arsenal played well and won 3-0, putting them in a strong position for the knockout stages. I went to bed content and warm.
Thursday, 23rd January
I woke at 07:00, made porridge with banana and honey, and opened two birthday cards that had arrived yesterday. One was from my sister Karen and her family, and the other from Dave and Tracy. Dave made me laugh, reminding me that the last time he sent me a card was forty years ago, and it was a bereavement card for my eighteenth birthday.
The day was bitterly cold, so I stayed wrapped in a blanket and watched a film called Back in Action. I tried watching football in the evening but couldn’t stay interested. Instead, I browsed the Internet and enjoyed the steady stream of birthday messages. More than two hundred people wished me a happy birthday, which meant a lot to this silly old duffer living alone. I went to bed early, acting my age for once.
Friday, 24th January
I woke at 07:30 and spent the day working on my website and watching films. I had no energy for anything else and hoped tomorrow would be better. I went to bed at 22:00.
Saturday, 25th January
I woke feeling much better. After coffee and cereal, I replaced header images on my Brazil cruise pages. At 10:00, I went out on my scooter to drop off recycling and visit the pharmacy. The first one was closed, but the second was open, and I stocked up on tablets for my India trip. I grumbled at the boxes now containing only fourteen tablets instead of twenty eight, effectively doubling the price. I cannot wait for my health card to arrive.
Back home, I did laundry and worked on my website until mid afternoon, when I heated one of the cottage pies I had frozen. It was delicious. I watched Wolves vs Arsenal, a frustrating match where Arsenal won 0-1 but suffered from another dreadful refereeing decision. Myles Lewis Skelly was sent off for a challenge that should have been a yellow. Michael Oliver has now sent off an Arsenal player in twenty three percent of the Arsenal matches he has refereed. It is beyond a joke.
I stayed up to watch MOTD to hear the pundits’ opinions, and they all agreed the red card was wrong. At least I was not imagining it.
Sunday, 26th January
I woke at 06:30 and downloaded the final documents for my India trip. After porridge and coffee, I spent the morning adding new photos to my website. Time flew, and before I knew it, Lawrence was picking me up for Sunday lunch with Debbie at Campbell’s Bar in Roda.
The lamb was excellent, and for once, I finished my meal before everyone else. I had Bailey’s cheesecake for dessert, my favourite, and Debbie kindly paid for my meal as a birthday present. Afterwards, we went to La Ola for a glass of wine, where we bumped into Alison. Lawrence dropped Debbie home and then returned for me.
Back home, I put the heating on and tried to watch a film, but the food and wine won, and I fell asleep. I woke in time to watch some football, but it was only Manchester United, so I was not too bothered. I did wonder how much longer Tottenham will keep their manager, as they lost again and are hovering just above the relegation zone.
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