Location: Los Alcázares, Región de Murcia, Spain.
Summary: A week of nurse visits, extreme heat, website work, genealogy research, PostCrossing postcards, medication adjustments, and football. I met friends for breakfasts and coffees, dealt with deliveries and repairs, and spent most afternoons escaping the heat in my air-conditioned apartment while continuing to improve my website.
Monday, 18th August
After waking up today, I checked my computer for messages and then took a shower and shaved before heading to the health clinic on my disability scooter. I didn't have to wait long after arriving to be seen by the nurse. I'm not sure if the regular nurse is on holiday again, but the beautiful nurse was back. She could cure any known illness, I believe. Whenever she smiles at me, I instantly feel better. She redressed my ankle and told me it looked good, then gave me a new appointment for Friday.
When I left the health clinic, I rode my scooter to Los Narejos to have breakfast at Cafe Prensa. I saw my friends Teresa and Christine and sat with them. I had a coffee, a tostada with tomato and a bottle of water, and we all sat chatting till around 11:45. When we left, I paid my bill and went to Pizzeria La Sombre to meet Martin. I ordered a large bottle of water, and Martin arrived with his daughter Aria. Dave arrived a short time later, and we sat chatting till about 13:15.
Before I left, Martin went back to his home and brought me a contraption that allows you to sit in a chair and get exercise by using a pedal machine. It should be great for me, as I am unable to swim due to the wound on my leg and walking in this heat is too much for me. I took the machine and headed towards home.
I stopped at Economy Cash and bought a couple of pasta salads, one for today and one for tomorrow, along with some rolls. When I left, I went across to the Eurochange money exchange, which also serves as a drop-off point for Vistaprint, where I had a delivery arriving. I collected my delivery and then went home. Even with my disability scooter, I was struggling to get around in the heat, and I was glad to get home and out of it. When I got back to my apartment, I checked the temperature, and even in the shade on my balcony, it was over 40°c. I turned on the air conditioning and went back inside to cool off.
I unpacked my Vistaprint delivery and was very pleased with the t-shirt I had ordered. However, the two stamps I had ordered were subpar and left marks on anything I used them on. They looked like they had been manufactured incorrectly, and the text I wanted to have stamped on something was at the same level as some poor finishing on the stamp. I contacted Vistaprint immediately and asked them to send me new ones to replace the defective ones, and to verify that they were of good quality before shipping them. I also sent them images of the stamped text so that they could see the problem.
For lunch, I had one of the pasta salads I had bought and a turkey roll. In the afternoon, I worked on my website before attempting to take a siesta at about 4:30. I couldn't sleep, and because I had been getting frustrated with the wallet I bought myself a couple of years ago, I ordered a new one on Amazon. The one I currently use is more like an old-fashioned men's purse, and notes had to be folded up to fit in it. Although small in size, it is quite bulky and very fiddly when trying to access the money quickly. The new one is a regular-sized gentleman's wallet, where notes will be kept unfolded. It also has built-in protection for the RFID strip on debit or credit cards, which stops them from being scanned and the electronic data on them from being stolen.
This evening I continued to work on my website while watching the Leeds vs Everton football match on TV. Leeds won 1-0, which, overall, I think was a fair result. I went to bed at around 23:00 with the noise of the loud music being played in Plaza de Espejo ringing in my ears, but I was able to get to sleep after half an hour or so.
Tuesday, 19th August
I had set my alarm before going to bed last night because when I ordered my new wallet on Amazon yesterday, they said it could be delivered anytime between 7:00 and 13:00 today. I wanted to be awake in case the delivery arrived at 07:00. When I got up, I turned the TV on and sat watching BBC News on early morning TV. I much prefer it to the news that comes later because it presents the facts and doesn't try to make a story out of it or spin the broadcaster's view into it.
At 8:00, I made myself a mug of hot green tea and continued working on my website. I began adding OG tags to some of the menu items. Again, this is a long, boring job and makes little immediate difference to the website, but being somewhat anally retentive about my website, I still enjoy it and seeing the results, however little they may be. While I was working, a buzz on the door video system alerted me to the arrival of the Amazon driver bringing me my new wallet. I was very pleased because it was only about 10:15, and meant I could go out during the day rather than sitting in all day waiting for the delivery.
Before putting my cards and money in my new wallet, I added the bills to the Eurobilltracker website. While I was doing this, I received an email from Vistaprint apologising for the poor finish of the stamps I received yesterday and informing me that they had sent a new one. If I was pleased with the quality, they would send me the second one.
I left my apartment on my disability scooter and went to the office to meet Martin at 11:45. Martin and Dave both met me there, and we sat chatting until I left at 13:15. It was getting too hot for me again; even the bottle of water I had was getting warm. I said my goodbyes and left to go home. I cut through the estates and went along the beachfront. I looked at the people in the water and wished my leg would heal so I could start swimming again.
When I got home, I had a pasta salad for lunch and then sat in my armchair to cool off. The fan wasn't enough to bring the temperature down from the 28°c the apartment had reached. I closed all the doors and windows and turned on the air conditioning to cool the place down.
I spent the afternoon working on my website. I stopped a couple of times for something to eat, at about 15:00 for a pasta salad and again at about 19:30 for a salad and a pig knuckle. I couldn't keep my eyes open tonight, but stayed awake for as long as possible and eventually went to bed around 22:00.
Wednesday, 20th August
I slept well last night, but was woken up around 2:00 by kids outside. I fell asleep quickly again and woke up at 4:00. I went to the bathroom and then returned to bed. I woke up again at 5:45 but couldn't get back to sleep, so I got up.
Once the sleepy dust had been washed out of my eyes, I sat at my computer and did the Wordle puzzle, getting a solid three today. I worked on my computer and checked my email. I received a couple of messages from Vistaprint stating that they had sent me new stamps to replace the ones that had arrived, but I wasn't happy with the quality. The emails were somewhat confusing because they appeared to originate from two different departments. One said it was sending one stamp to test, and another from the complaint department said it was sending the entire order again, including the shirt that I had no problem with. I will have to wait to see what arrives and how many packages are delivered.
I spent the day keeping out of the heat again. Apart from visiting Economy Cash to pick up a couple of salads and some rolls, I spent the entire day working on my website.
I don't know if it is because I have switched to taking my medication before I go to bed rather than when I get up, or because I have stopped drinking and am making an effort to eat more salads and smaller meals, or just because I am avoiding going out in the heat, but my concentration and energy levels are getting better. I realised today how to change the navigation system on my website to one which only shows the navigation for each page rather than the navigation for the whole website at once. It was a simple thing to do, but I had never figured out how. Today, it became clear how to proceed, and I began updating my website navigation.
I also spoke to my old friend Nina back in England today. We spoke by WhatsApp for the first time in over a year. She told me that she has given up alcohol and smoking and has abstained from both for over a year. Well done, my friend. I haven't given up completely, but my alcohol consumption has dropped to almost nothing, and I never smoked anyway. If we meet up now, we will have to go out for a coffee or a milkshake. She also told me that she had taken up painting and asked if I had any photos she could use for inspiration. She sent me photos of some of her work, and it was very good.
Thursday, 21st August
I woke up at 6:00 this morning. I got up straight away, and after doing the Wordle puzzle, I began working on my website's navigation. The job was going well, and I didn't stop until around 11:00, when I took a break for a drink.
My friend George called to ask me to help him translate some more documents from his doctor. I told him to bring it around, and I would do it today. He and his wife, Yvonne, came to my apartment, and I used my scanner to scan the letters using OCR software. Then I copied the text and used Google Translate to translate it from Spanish to English. I printed it off for George and then emailed him and his doctor copies of both the Spanish letter and the English translation. It only took about an hour today, which was significantly quicker than the last job I had done for him, as I didn't have to scan hundreds of images as well.
After George and Yvonne left, I continued working on my website, modifying the navigation system and layout of the templates on the site. I split one template into about six separate templates, which means I can alter sections of the website to appear differently from other sections in the future, rather than having to change the entire website.
Friday, 22nd August
I got up around 7:00, and after completing the Wordle puzzle, I resumed working on my website. Just after 8:30, I stopped, took a shower and then went to the health clinic on my disability scooter.
The nurse changed the dressing on my ankle and noted that it was healing well. She made me a new appointment for next Tuesday, but because neither she nor my regular nurse would be there, she arranged for another nurse to change the dressing.
When I left the health clinic, I went to the pharmacy near my apartment and picked up some more tablets before heading to Rio Nalon to collect a parcel from Eurochange. When I arrived, the money exchange shop wasn't open, so I went to the Tipsy Thistle for breakfast. I am definitely feeling better, and even my appetite seems to have returned, so I ordered a large English breakfast. I sat, eating my breakfast, which was very good, and read my Kindle. When I had finished my breakfast, I had a second coffee before going back to the Eurochange shop to collect my parcel.
The parcel was significantly smaller than the first one that Vistaprint had sent, so I assumed they had only sent one item. I took it home and turned on the air conditioning. The new stamp that Vistaprint sent was satisfactory, and I emailed them to confirm it was fine, allowing them to send the second one.
When I was having a shower this morning, the shower seat I use made a cracking noise. It wasn't the first time it had done it, and I was worried that it would break while I was sitting on it in the shower. I'm not sure how long they should last, but I expect the plastic seat to become brittle due to the constant heat here in Spain. I really didn't want to explain to a doctor why I had shards of broken plastic seat or seat legs stuck up my backside as they tried to remove them. I went on the Amazon website and searched for a new one. I found one I liked and ordered it to replace the one I have. I originally bought the current shower stool for my mum to use back in England, and it must be about fourteen years old, so I guess it has done well.
I spent the rest of the day working on my website until the West Ham vs Chelsea game started. Unexpectedly, West Ham scored and went 1-0 up, but this didn't last long and Chelsea equalised. Within minutes, West Ham scored again, but this time the goal was disallowed. That would be the last time West Ham got near the Chelsea goal. Chelsea turned on the style and scored four more goals, taking the game to 1-5. At least I earned a few points through the Chelsea players in my Fantasy Football Team. While the game was on, I messaged my cousin Paul in England, and while the game played out, I chatted with him about the Fantasy Football League we are both in. As soon as the game finished, I went to bed and within minutes I was asleep.
Saturday, 23rd August
When I woke up this morning, I had breakfast and then walked to the pharmacy to obtain some additional tablets, as the ones I received yesterday weren't enough to last the month. I arrived just after 9:00, and the pharmacy was closed, so I stopped at the Avenida bar next to it for a coffee.
I sat drinking my coffee and reading my Kindle. The bar was packed with Spanish people having breakfast. I must say that the coffee was horrible compared to what I have had elsewhere. The pharmacy opened at 9:30, and after waiting for what seemed like hours for my change to be returned, which was probably only a few minutes, I left.
When I went into the pharmacy, the lady serving me told me she couldn't give me any more tablets yet because I had only picked some up recently. I explained that the pack they had given me would only last 20 days, not the month I had expected. She smiled and said there was nothing she could do for a couple of days because of the system, and to try again next week. I will try again next week, but will start using the pharmacy further along the road again. I much prefer it, and they are always more helpful.
I returned to my apartment, turned on the air conditioning, and worked on my website until around 13:30. I then watched the Manchester City vs Tottenham football match. Tottenham played very well and won the game 0-2. I hoped Arsenal did as well in their game. Before the Arsenal game started, I sent my friend Nina some photos I had taken in Alaska that she might use for inspiration for her painting.
The Arsenal game was great, and at half-time Arsenal were beating Leeds 2-0. Within a few minutes of the second half starting, Arsenal's new striker, Viktor Gyökeres, scored his first Arsenal goal and Arsenal's third in the game. Arsenal added a fourth, and in injury time, the 15-year-old Max Dowman, making his debut for Arsenal, won a penalty which Viktor Gyökeres successfully dispatched, and Arsenal won 5-0. It was a fantastic performance, but it was overshadowed by the injuries to Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard. Hopefully, they won't be out for too long, but the signings of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze will at least provide cover for them.
Sunday, 24th August
I got up at around 7:00, got a cold drink and sat down in front of the TV to watch MOTD. Before the game started, I worked on my website and then made myself a bacon sandwich. I ate my sandwich, drank a green tea and settled down to watch the football again.
After watching the Arsenal game on TV, I went for a walk while it was still relatively cool. I walked along the beachfront and up through the Rambla in Los Alcázares. I walked to a road which has a walkway along it. It has trees on both sides, and the smell of the pine trees growing is wonderful. I walked along for a while and sat under some trees on a bench to get my breath back for 10 minutes. Once I had recovered, I continued my walk and headed home.
I was glad I had turned on the air conditioning before leaving when I arrived back at a cool apartment. I sat down and started watching the first film of the Hobbit trilogy. I wanted to watch it to see some of the landscapes I will be going through on my trip to Australia and New Zealand next year. The walk must have taken more out of me than I thought, because I fell asleep watching the film and woke up around an hour later when my phone beeped, notifying me that I had an email.
I checked the message and then rewound the film to the point I had fallen asleep at and watched the rest of it. When it finished, I got a cheese pasta to eat and watched the end of the Everton vs Brighton football match. I then waited for today's last game, Fulham vs Manchester United. As I watched the game, I surfed the Internet. The game wasn't very good, and I found it difficult to watch. I went to bed at 22:00.
Add comment