✍Journal: Week 47, 2025.

Discover Alan Morris’ Week 47 journal, daily life in Los Alcázares, health updates, social moments, and football highlights. Personal stories blending expat living, wellness, and community.

📝Monday, 17th November.

I woke up ready for the day ahead. I got a coffee, sat at my computer and checked that my server was running. I uploaded last week's blog to my website and sat working on the server. I moved more of my videos from an external hard drive I had been using to the server.

I showered and then got ready to go to the health clinic. When I left for the clinic, I took my Kindle; it turned out to be a good move. When I arrived at the health clinic, the nurse wasn't there, so I started reading a book on my Kindle. The nurse arrived after my appointment time, and when she saw me, she informed me that there was a one-hour wait. It wasn't worth complaining; I only hoped that whoever she had been seeing elsewhere was okay now. I read my Kindle until I was called in at about 12:20.

The nurse cleaned the wound, then covered it again and repositioned the compression sock. She knew I had to go to the hospital tomorrow and made me an appointment for Friday to see her at the health clinic again. I left the clinic and got on my disability scooter to go and meet Martin. I arrived at La Sombre around 12:45. I fancied a beer today and sat down with Martin, Dave, Aria, and Kate, ordering a beer. We all sat talking, and Jesse and Sean joined us. We sat chatting and drinking till later than normal, probably because I had arrived later than I regularly do. I decided to order a pizza to take away and left at about 15:30 with it. I went straight home and noticed that the temperature had dropped a little. I was glad I had put my body warmer on today, but it wasn't cold enough to plug the battery in and turn the electric heating in it on.

When I got home, I warmed up and ate half the pizza while watching TV. I was still hungry after eating it, as it had been the first thing I had eaten all day. I warmed up the other half of the pizza and ate that as well. I couldn't get comfortable sitting in my armchair, so I decided to lie on my bed and take a half-hour nap.  The beer I had drunk earlier and the pizza I had eaten at home made me fall asleep quickly, and after going to bed at 16:30, I didn't wake up again today.

📝Tuesday, 18th November.

I woke up at around 2:15 and went back to sleep. I woke up again at 4:30 and tried to fall back asleep. I eventually gave up trying to get back to sleep because I was wide awake. I got up and sat at my computer. I worked on my website and listened to Owain Wyn Evans on Radio 2.

At about 6:00, I was still wide awake, and I noticed that my hands were getting a bit cold, so I turned on my heating on low and got myself a coffee. I took a shower and got dressed, ready to go to Los Arcos hospital to see the nurses there who are also checking on my leg. I continued working on my website until 10:00, then walked downstairs and met my neighbour, Liz. We went down to the garage, got in her Smart car and left to drive to San Javier.

We arrived at Los Arcos hospital with plenty of time to spare for my appointment. I checked myself in on the check-in machine. After my last appointment here and seeing how to do it, I was able to do it myself this week. It was all very easy, and we were soon seated, waiting to see the two nurses. We didn't have to wait long, and Liz came in with me and explained to the nurses that she was my neighbour and was there to translate if necessary.

One of the two nurses removed the plaster from my ankle, cleaned the wound, and the other one spoke to me in English, asking about the wound and treatment. I told her that once, when a powder was applied to the wound rather than cream, it had seemed to heal very quickly. She looked through my notes on the computer and identified the powder, which they used to redress the wound again. They also took a swab of the wound to check for any infections. Liz spoke to the nurses, and they said that there was no need for me to take a translator with me next time I went. They said to continue seeing the nurse in the health centre and made me an appointment to come in to see them at the Los Arcos hospital, in two weeks' time.

After leaving the nurses, we walked down to see about getting an appointment for Liz. I waited for her while she went to see an administrator. I read on my Kindle, and while she went to get X-rays, I stayed where I was and continued reading until she returned. We left the hospital, and Liz drove us to a store in San Javier that sells goods from English stores like Iceland and Waitrose. I went inside and bought 3 boxes of Quaker porridge oats with golden syrup. I love eating it for breakfast in the winter, but I haven't seen it anywhere else. Whilst walking around the store, I also saw Heinz salad cream, another thing I like but hadn't seen anywhere else. I picked up a bottle, paid for my things, and waited for Liz. When we left the store, we returned to Los Alcazares and to our apartments.

This afternoon I had two pork knuckles for my dinner. They are lovely and really cheap, precooked and only take 12 minutes to cook. After eating, I sat at my computer and continued to transfer all the videos I had shot from my external hard drives to my new server. It took a while, but it means I can now work through them to see which I want to keep working on in the future. It means I can access them on my laptop and my main computer, and work on them at any time.

This evening I sat in my armchair, played the Whiskerwood game, and watched the Wales vs North Macedonia World Cup Qualifying game. Wales were brilliant and won the game 7-1. The result meant they finished second in their group and will go into the playoffs to try to reach the Finals next year. After the game finished, I played Whiskerwood for a little longer. I wanted to tire myself out, so I slept soundly and returned to a proper sleep pattern. I went to bed just before midnight.

📝Wednesday, 19th November.

I slept very well last night. I woke up at 6:00, went to the toilet, went back to bed, and fell asleep straight away. My alarm went off at 7:00, but I fell asleep again and finally got up around 7:45. I got ready to go out, putting on some fresh compression socks, then got a coffee. When I checked my computer for messages, I had one from Martin. He had sent it late last night and was just telling me he couldn't meet me today because his TV had blown up, and he and Kate were going to look for a new one today. I sent him one back, telling him the Black Friday sales start this Friday and that he may want to wait until then to buy one.

At around 9:45, I went to Mercadona on my disability scooter to get some shopping. I got my shopping loaded it all onto my disability scooter, one bag on each armrest and one on the floor plate between my feet, and then went straight back to my apartment. As I got home, I noticed that the battery on my disability scooter was quite low. I was glad I hadn't tried to go any further with it, because I don't think it would have had enough juice to travel much farther. I put the scooter in the garage and carried my shopping to my apartment.

I put all my shopping away, rested for a few minutes, and then called Liz to let her know she could come up and take a look at the electric heater I have and the stool in my shower. She said she is looking for both and wants to look at the ones I have before buying them. She has been saying the same thing for two years, and I have sent her the heater details at least three times, so I doubt she will buy one. She had a look at both and stopped to chat for around an hour while I tidied my kitchen.

When she left, I finished transferring my videos to my server. I spent the rest of the day watching TV and playing Whiskerwood. It really is a compulsive game 

📝Thursday, 20th November.

I woke around 6:30 and lay in until the alarm went off at 7:00. My phone read today's news headlines to me, then I got up. I went to the kitchen and made myself a bowl of porridge with banana and blueberries. I got a coffee, sat down at my computer, ate breakfast, and listened to Radio 2 as I attempted to do the Wordle puzzle.

Once I had finished the Wordle puzzle, I took a shower and got dressed, ready to go to the health clinic for my flu and COVID jabs. I walked to the health centre and was glad I had put on my body warmer, as the wind was a bit chilly. When I arrived at the health clinic, I asked the security guard for directions, and she pointed me to a room down the corridor where I usually go to visit the nurse to get my leg dressed. I sat down with a few other people, and a nurse came out of the room, read some names out and disappeared back inside. I had no idea whether she had read them out in order or whether she was just checking that people were there. I waited as people went in who had had their names called before mine, but as soon as a Spanish man seemed to jump the queue, I stood by the door, ready to go in. As the previous man came out, before I went in, I heard her call my name. I went in and was asked to sit down.

The nurse asked if I was here for the flu and COVID jabs, and I said I was. She looked at her computer and, after giving me the flu jab, told me that I couldn't have the COVID jab because I was too young, at only 58. I told her that I had it in previous years because I was disabled, and she checked my details on the computer and instructed the nurse to give me the COVID jab in my other arm. It was all painless, and I left and walked back to my apartment. By 10:30, I was home. I got myself a cup of tea, settled at my computer and played Whiskerwood while I waited for the bed linen I had ordered on Amazon to be delivered.

Amazon delivered my new bed sheets in the afternoon, and I stripped the linen from my bed and remade it with the new green bed sheets. They fitted the bed perfectly, and I made a mental note of which corner of the bed the label on the sheets went so that I could put them on correctly in the future. After making the bed, I felt a bit cold, so I turned on the apartment's heating, sat down with a cup of tea, and began reading my current book on my Kindle.

This evening I had a chipatti roll, cut in half, toasted and then spread with guacamole and tomato. It's an easy snack and is surprisingly tasty. I continued to play Whiskerwood late into the night. There are very few instructions on how to play the game, and I found myself trying out new ideas, wanting to play just for another five minutes, all the way through the night, till about 1:00, when I finally went to bed.

📝Friday, 21st November.

I woke when my alarm went off at 8:00. I got up, washed, dressed and went to the kitchen to get a coffee. I made myself porridge with banana, blueberries, and raspberries, then sat down at my computer and did the Wordle puzzle. I checked my health clinic appointment and was glad I had. My appointment was for 10:50; I had thought it was 10:00. At least now I wouldn't have to sit in the health clinic for an hour because I had arrived too early.

I left home at 10:30, taking my Kindle with me, and walked slowly to the health clinic. The nurse was delayed again, but only briefly today. I quickly had the wound redressed and was soon walking home again.

Once back at my apartment, I checked my computer for messages and then started working on my website. I spent the rest of the day working on my website, playing Whiskwerwood or watching TV. I will have to try to get out more, but when it gets cold, I really don't feel like doing anything.

📝Saturday, 22nd November.

I slept well last night. I got up, did the Wordle puzzle, and had a coffee. I messaged my friend Martin to see if he had managed to get a cheap TV in the Black Friday sales yesterday, and he told me they were going to MediaMkt in Cartagena today to see if they could get one there. I asked him if I could go along. It would at least get me out of the house for a while. He said I could go, and that Kate would pick me up just after 12:00. I spent the morning playing Whiskerwood and trying to work out how different parts of the game work. I managed to work out how to tunnel under mountains and how far to go to open a cave and begin growing mushrooms. Things don't get much more exciting than that.

Martin and Kate picked me up just after 12:00, and we drove to MediaMkt in Carrtagena. We went in, and while Kate, Martin and Aria looked at TV sets, I had a look at the mobile phones and juicers. I saw a phone I liked, but hoped I wouldn't have to buy one for a while. Using the demo phones, I was able to find a solution to the problem I have on my own, and hopefully won't need a new one.

I have a juicer and use it, but it is very messy, cleaning up takes a while, and I get covered in juice because I can't see well enough to put fruit in without sometimes missing the fruit feeder tube. When I do use it, I juice a large amount, and my juicer isn't really big enough for the job either. I looked at the juicers, and they have improved a lot since I bought mine. I found a Moulinex model that had a large fruit feeder tube and larger pulp collectors. The design meant it would be much cleaner to use than the one I had, so I decided to buy it to replace my old one. While in the store, I also bought some more coffee so I didn't have to go out and buy some later, and whilst at the till, I saw a set of metal straws on sale, and as we tend to do with things at the till on sale, I picked some up and bought a set.

I walked towards the door and saw Martin, Kate and Aria at the main till, so I sat on a chair near the door to wait for them. Aria came and joined me on the chairs, and we sat and waited for her parents. Kate and Martin were at the till for quite a while, then left, returning a short time later to purchase a new TV in the sale. When they came out, they had to collect the TV from the warehouse next door to the main store entrance. The new TV was far too big to fit in their car, so Martin rang his dad, Dave, and asked him to help. Dave said he would be there in half an hour. While Martin waited for his dad, Kate, Aria, and I walked to the main shopping centre to see if we could get a drink.

Kate and Aria sat at a cafe and got drinks and a sandwich, but I decided not to; instead, I went to Primark to see if I could get some jogger bottoms to wear now that it's getting colder. They would also be ideal to wear when I travel to Australia in January. I found the joggers in the store and was delighted to see they had gone from €14 when I checked online last week to €7 because of the Black Friday sales. I found some black ones which I liked and bought two pairs before walking back to meet Kate and Aria. They had finished their drinks, and we walked back to the car. Martin had already left with his dad, and Kate drove me back to my apartment.

On the way back to my apartment, Martin messaged me to see if I wanted to go for a beer. When we got to my apartment, I dropped my shopping off and went straight back outside, got back in the car, and drove back to the pub. Kate dropped Aria and me off at the Corner Bar, where Martin was, and we joined him there. It was very cold outside, especially when sitting in the shade. We moved tables a couple of times, but I couldn't get warm.

We had a couple of beers before Martin took Aria home, and I walked towards Rio Nalon to see if I could get some money at the ATM there. I was pleased that the ATM was working, since the two machines I had tried earlier weren't. I took out the money I needed and walked down Rio Nalon. Strangely, as I walked past The Celt bar, I saw my old friend Stuart, whom I hadn't seen in a long time. It was strange because Martin and I had been talking about him earlier, because it was he who had originally called me "Shark Bite", which got shortened to "Sharky", which became my nickname in Spain. I stopped and had a brief chat with him while he finished his cigarette, and when he went back into the Celt, I walked to Harry's bar.

I sat in Harry's bar for a few hours, chatting with the bar owner, customers of the bar and watching the football match that was on. Liverpool lost 0-3 to Nottingham Forest, and along with Newcastle beating Manchester City 2-1, all the results worked out well for Arsenal, as long as they beat Tottenham in tomorrow's game. I continued celebrating after the game finished, and when I left Harry's bar, I walked back to Roccos bar. I saw my friend Rachid, the owner, and I sat inside for a while watching people play pool. I decided to have a game and played the winner. I managed to pot all my red colored balls before the man I was playing had potted one of his yellow ones, and feeling generous after so many beers, I told him I would switch to potting the yellows, and he could try to pot the black. We continued playing, and I potted all the yellows and the black to win. I liked to think I had seven-balled him twice in one game. I chatted to a Spanish girl in the bar. She was very good-looking, but I wasn't sure whether she was married to or with one of the characters in the bar at that time.

I left the bar and started to walk home. As I walked past Harry's bar, it was just closing, and I thought it was closing early and headed home. When I got in, I realised why Harry's bar had been closing, it was almost midnight. I jumped straight into bed, pulled the warm blanket up around me and was asleep very quickly.

📝Sunday, 23rd November.

I didn't wake up till mid-morning today and felt a little worse for wear after not eating, walking lots and drinking a lot more than I am used to yesterday. I sat in my armchair, keeping warm and playing Whiskerwood on my laptop.

Arsenal played Tottenham this afternoon. I had intended to go to the pub to watch it, but as I still felt a little worse for wear and was cold, I stayed under my blanket in my warm apartment and watched the game at home. Arsenal played really well and won the game 4-1. Eberechi Eze, who Tottenham tried to sign in the close season, before he signed for Arsenal, and who had always supported Arsenal and started his career at, scored a hat-trick. The look of emotion on his face after the game was a sight to see. He stood waving to his family and friends in the stands and afterwards told reporters how much it had meant to him to score against Spurs and that his hat-trick felt brilliant. It was the first hat-trick anyone had scored in a NLD since 1978 when Alan Sunderland scored one for Arsenal. The result and yesterday's results meant that Arsenal had a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

I continued to play Whiskerwood till the early hours of the morning and went to bed a very happy Gooner.

Health and exercise metrics for week 47 of 2025.