Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia, Spain.
Summary: Week 21 was a mix of feeling rough with a stubborn cold, rebuilding my website after last month’s chaos, and celebrating Arsenal finally becoming champions again. Between health checks, coffees with friends, booking a transatlantic cruise, and enjoying meals out around Los Alcázares, it turned into a busy but satisfying week that reminded me why I enjoy keeping this journal going.
Monday, 18th May
When I woke up this morning, my nose was blocked, I had a headache and I felt terrible, I had caught a cold, not just a cold but real aching, crippling man flue. I was supposed to be going to The Garden Bar this morning to meet my friend Pat and see new friends, Joan and Steve for a coffee, but I felt terrible and didn't want to pass it on to anyone else.
I spent all day working on my website, adding photos to the photo albums on it and reinstating a lot of the pages that I had lost when I had an unsuccessful site transfer to a WordPress site last month. It was a decision that I came to regret but managed to fix and moved back to the Joomla site I had been using for many years. I found WordPress and its themes far too restrictive for my needs and after lots of work, regretted moving to WordPress, luckily I was able to get refunds for all the money I had paid out because I had cancelled within the time limit given to cancel the plans but the work I had created is immense and will keep me busy for a while yet.
I told Martin I wouldn't be at the office today and feeling very sorry for myself wrapped myself in a blanket and spent the afternoon working on my website. This evening I watched a very important game for Arsenal. They played at home to Burnley, a team already relegated from the Premier League. They started brightly but the longer the game went on the more nervous I became. Kai Havertz scored a goal, and Arsenal took a 1-0 lead but couldn't extend it. It was very stressful and I and probably every other Gooner in the world felt very nervous until the final whistle went.
When the final whistle went, Arsenal had held on and got the three points. They now had a five-point lead over second placed Manchester City, who were playing on Tuesday night. I went to bed very happy but still suffering from the stress of the game and the effects of the cold.
Tuesday, 19th May
I woke a little later than usual today, around 08:00. I had a coffee and some scrambled egg on toast for breakfast, took my regular tablets and did the wordle puzzle before settling down to work on my website again. My head still felt a but groggy and I decided I would have to go the pharmacy to get something for my cold, but I spent all day working on my website, only moving from my chair when I needed to use the bathroom.
I did however get a message from a company that I asked about a repositioning cruise that I wanted to go on. I had asked them about it a few weeks ago but not had a reply from them. Thinking that it wasn't available anymore I had booked a short break in Venice, in July, instead, but the message I had back today confirmed the cruise was available. I booked the cruise, which will leave Barcelona in November and take me to Cape Canaveral in Florida. I used to own a property in Cape Canaveral, and it is a place I love and still have a couple of friends. I arranged to arrange to fly back a few days after the cruise finished and booked a couple of extra days in an apartment at Cocoa Beach, to allow me to hopefully see some old friends while I was there, Rene, this means you.
This evening I arranged to have a coffee at the Avenida bar with my friends George & Yvonne. I walked to the bar and sat down. The short distance shouldn't have been a problem, but the heavy cold had caused me to have difficulties breathing on the short walk and I had to catch my breath when I get there. George arrived and got us both a drink and after chatting for a while and catching me breath I went to the pharmacy and got something for my cough and cold and asked for my regular prescription. I got everything but the pharmacist refused to give me all of my tablets insisting that I would have to collect the extra tablets I wanted on Saturday. It drives me mad having to go back in a couple of days for tablets that are on my prescription. When I got back to the Avenida bar Yvonne had arrived and I sat chatting with her and George before heading home.
This evening I watched the Bournemouth vs Manchester City football match on television. It was a very important game for Arsenal, if Manchester City didn't win it would make it impossible for them to catch Arsenal in the Premier League and Arsenal would be crowned Premier League Champions, Bournemouth played brilliantly, scored a goal and could have scored a few more but in the 96th minute Manchester City got an equaliser. It was too little too late and they couldn't get the win they needed, Arsenal are this seasons premier League Champions. I felt great and spent hours watching the celebrations around the Arsenal ground, the Emirates Stadium, where over 100,000 fans gathered to celebrate.
I finally went to bed in the early hours of the morning after taking some of the medicine for my cold.
Wednesday 20th May
Despite going to be very late last night I was still awake around 05:30 today. The cold was still hanging on in my ehad and I took some medicine for it and had a coffee along with my regular tablets before sitting down at the computer to scour over the reporst about Arsenal and the fact that they had been crowned Premier League champions for the first time in 22 years.
At 07:50 I set off on my disability scooter and went to the health clinic for my regular blood test. I was quickly seen by the nurse and my INR test showed that the tablets were working, my INR reading was 2.1, which falls within the 2-3 range that I need to be in, 2.5 being the perfect level. It was slightly lower than last months perfect 2.5 but that could be due to me forgetting to take the Sintrom tablets one morning or even be because of the cough medicine I started taking yesterday. Either way I didnt expect my Sintrom dosage would change. After getting the results I headed straight home.
I did lots more work on my website and took more medication for my cold. I slowly started to feel a bit better and at 13:00 when my friend Wayne picked me up, I was feeling hungry. We hadnt seen each other for a few weeks and went to Los Urrutias to the Rufmari restaurant for their menu of the day. Strangely we had to wait a while for our dessert of profiteroles, but it was worth the wait it was fantastic, and even seemed to have a hint of rum in it.
When we left, Wayne drove us back to Los Alcázares where we stopepd at Buena Vista restaurant, just a short walk from my apartment. As we approached we saw old friends Susan and Neil Twig and said hello before sitting down for a pint and to enjoy the sun. The sun on my back made me feel great and we sat talking about football, and my planned trips. We only had one drink and left to go back to my apartment. I had offered to lend Wayne what I thought was a large stepladder but when I saw it again it was shorter than I remembered and turned out they were only the same size as the set he aleady had. Wayne went home and I sat down to work on my website again.
I had an early night and went to bed around 22:00.
Thursday 21st May
I woke before my alarm went off today and was up around 06:45. I got a coffee, checked my computer for messages, took my regular tablets and the cough medicine. The cough seems to have gone from a dry tickle to a flemmy cough but the headache seems to be clearing up. I got ready to go the health clinic to have my leg dressing changed and my leg examined.
Ata round 09:30 I went out on my disability scooter and went along the Los Alcázares promenade, looking at the beach and thinking how beautiful it looked. I stopped at my bank, withdrew some money from the ATM and then continued to a cafe near the health clinic to have a coffee. I sat at the cafe and had a coffee and a tostada with tomato while I sat and read a book on my Kindle. I had a second coffee and then went to the health clinic.
I didnt have to wait long to see the nurse and she checked my leg and redresssed it. She gave me an appointment for next week telling me my legf is nearly healed over completley and that if next week it still looks as good she will discharge me and I wont have to have it looked at anymore. I was very pleased with this news and hoepfully it will be healed up and I will then be able to start swimming in the Mar Menor again. I have missed my morning swims and think it must be two years since I was able to swim every morning.
Before leaving the health clinic I collected the results from yesterdays blood test. The results were good and my next test wont be for another 5 weeks, my regular tablet dose stayed the same. I left the health clinic and went to EconomyCash and got a couple of bits of shopping I wanted and then went back to my apartment.
This afternoon & evening I worked on my website and watched TV. Before going to bed around 23:00 I searched the Internet for a way to get to Barceloan in November for my cruise. Going by coach would mean going a day early and having to stay in Barcelona overnight., It aslo meant a very long 12 to 15 hour coach journey so I looked for a flight instead. I found a flight from Alicante that only cost €99 and by using AVIOS points I got it for €79. I booked this and will ask a friend to take me to the airport nearer the time.
Friday 22nd May
I woke up before my alarm went off this morning. I got a coffee and sat at my computer to check my email and do the Wordle puzzle. I managed to do the Wordle puzzle and while sat at my computer I filled in my tax return and sent it into my accountant to file for me. After I finished the tax return I turned the computer off and sat in my armchair and continued working on my website using my laptop.
I meant to go to Buena Vista restarant for breakfast at 09:30 but because I had been working and concentrating on what I was doing it was gone 11:00 before I looked up. I decided to keep working until lunchtime and go out for walk then and maybe get lunch out. Lunch came and went and I didnt stop for it.
I kept working until about 15:00, had some lunch and then took a siesta before watching a film, Tom Clancys Jack Ryan: Ghost War. It was quite good and I managed to watch it without falling asleep again.
I had intended to go out for a drink tonight but the longer I sat in my armchair the less I could be bothered to go out and I eventually decided not to go out and to leave it till Sunday afternoon. This way I could watch the remaining football matches in the pub and celebrate Arsenal winning the Premier League with other people. I watched whatever was on TV, it can't of been good because I have no recollection of what it was, probably reruns of NCIS.
I went to bed around 23:00 after taking a final dose of cough mixture. It seems to have cured the cold but is causing laugh lumps of flem to be coughed up every now and then.
Saturday May
I woke up just before 07:00 but lay in bed till around 08:00 before getting up and taking a shower. Once I was all clean I got dressed, stripped the linen from my bed and put it in the washing machine. Once the washing machine was running I sat at my computer and worked on reinstating entries from my journals on my website.
Just before 10:00 I decided to go to Cafe Prensa to see some friends and get a coffee. I took a bag of rubbish and a recycling bag down to the garage and jumped on my disability scooter. As I approached the first bin I realised the charge on my scooter would probably not last long enough to get me to Los Narejos and back. I dumped the rubbish, continued to the plastic recyclling bin and dropped my plastic rubbish off and decided to get breakfast at Buena Vista on the beach.
I parked my scooter outside and because it was alraedy quite warm and filling up outside, I sat inside where I could read my Kindle without being disturbed by loud tourists. I ordred a medium size breakfast and a coffee and sat reading until it arrived. Breakfast tasted great and once I had finished I had a mug of green tea to wash it all down. The owner of the restaurant arrived and said hello and shook my hand before sitting down himself to have a drink.
I finished the tea and the chapter I was rewading in my book, then paid my bill and went back to my garage. I put my disability scooter on to charge and then went back to my apartment to continue my chores. I emptied the dust out of my robot hoover and set it off to clean up before I sat down to continue working on my website.
When I got home I set my robot hoover off and let it clean my apartment while I continued working on my website. I stopped briefly to unload the washing machine and re make my bed. I then put more washing in the washing machine before running a clean cycle on my dishwasher.
I got myself a cheeseburger around 15:00 and put a load of washing in the dishwasher and then continued to work on my website, stopping at 20:00 to rest my eyes. I spent the rest of the evening watching TV.
Sunday 24th May
My alarm went off at 07:30 and got out of bed around 08:00. I got a green tea, got ready to go out later and put my last lot of washing in the washing machine. I imemdiatly started working on my website again and finished reinstating my 2024 journal pages.
Just after 13:00 I walked to Porschas bar for Sunday lunch. I had brie fritters with cranberry jam. They were a bit overcooked for me but not horrible. I had roast lamb with all the trimmings as my main meal and after letting it all settle I had chocolate fudge cake with ice cream. The dinner was great and so was the fudge cake. When I had finished I went back to my apartment to watch the Crystal Palace vs Arsenal football match. It was a fairly easy win for Arsenal, 1-2 and as soona s the game finished I walked to Harrys bar to watch Arsenal be crowned Premier League champions.
I had three beers watching the celebrations and chatting to Ian, the barman, and also to my friend Neil who I hadnt seen for a couple of years. At around 21:00 Ian decided to close early so I walked up to Rocco's bar. I knew it had been sold to a Scottish couple, and when I arrived, the name had changed to Caledonian. As I walked in, Keith and Jen, who I had met at Debbies last week, also came in and Keith bought me a pint, and we talked about football for a while before he rejoined some friends. When I finished my beer, I walked to the 19th hole and had two more beers before walking home.
When I got in I got some water to drink and then went straight to bed.
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