mylifeinspain

iPod "home"

"Home" songs currently on my iPod:

* You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to by Frank Sinatra

* Kiwis Go Home by The Strapping Fieldhands

* When Will You Come Back Home by Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

* You'd Better Come Home by Petula Clark

* My Hometown by Bruce Springteen

* Go Home Girl by Arthur Anderson

* I'm Comin' Home by Arthur Anderson

* I'll Be Home for Christmas by Frank Sinatra

* I'll Be Home for Christmas by Dolly Parton

* I'll Be Home for Christmas by Aimee Mann

* The Last Trip Home by Battlefield Band

* Call Me on Your Way Back Home by Ryan Adams

* Come Back Home by Pete Yorn

* Go Home by Guided by Voices

hasta manana,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Happy Friday
2 years ago: What a difference...
1 year ago: No entry.

i'm back....

Actually, I haven't been anywhere, but I figured I better post an update soon before my mother started to worry. :-) And now it has been so long that I have to really think what I have been doing the past week and a bit that kept me from blogging....
*When I last sat before the TypePad template, it was Semana Santa. I have to admit, I wasn't really into checking out the processions this year. I did post a few fotos from Palm Sunday, but I was a bit creeped out by the village's recently assembled drum and bugle corps and their paratrooper getups. Sometimes I feel that the longer I am living in Spain, the less I understand certain things. For one, I thought military uniforms juxtaposed with the pageantry of Holy Week was an image not reflective of modern Spain thinking. But what do I know because when I brought the subject up with a couple people, they saw it as just "tradition" and very "Onward Christian Soldiers". Then again, we do not live in exactly the most progressive of villages....
*I also skipped the crucifixion on Good Friday because 1) I have seen the priest-mayor as Jesus be whipped three times already and frankly that's enough; and 2) the weather was overcast and quite chilly and I was much too happy snuggled up at home to think about venturing outdoors.
*Last week brought another round of antibiotics, although nothing as serious as the kidney infection of last month. However, I was taking Cipro and thus ready for an anthrax attack at any moment, but alas none was forthcoming. Ho hum.
*Bode kitty had his little huevos removed on Easter Monday and so far he doesn't seem to miss them much. For some reason I thought this would instill him with some sense of calm, but not the case. He is still a completely mad kookamunga whose favorite things involve either biting some part of my flesh or looking incredibly cute and peaceful first before pulling out the fangs. But he is beautiful, and at least now the marauding gang of feral cousins is no longer gathering outside our front door and leaving their "calling cards". Which of course Almendena would mop down with some rose-smelling detergent before I even got back from the dogs' morning walk, adding to my "I'm a shitty Spanish housewife" guilt.
*By far, however, the biggest time zap of the past 12 days has been my irrational need to find out who Heidi and Spencer are. I know, I know I am years late on the American pop culture scene, no matter how many OK! magazines Big Jim brings me from Holland. But fortunately for me, mtv has graciously made all episodes of The Hills available online. And this is how I was sucked into the vapid world that is Heidi, Spencer, Brody, and Audrina. :Sigh:: It is seriously hard work catching up on three series of shows I tell you! Although when I watched the last episode, I could not help but wonder what I could achieve if I ever applied myself to anything worthwhile....hmmm.

Life should be a tad more placid in the coming days. One reason is that Big Jim finished up his contract in the Hague yesterday and is flying back to the village tomorrow, thus assuming fifty percent of housewifery duties, at least until the next job comes along. :-) Also, later next week we are jetting off to somewhere fun (hint: Marco Polo airport) to celebrate mylifeinspain's 40th b-day. :-D

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Friday fotos from Pakistan
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

marked

The last 10 web pages I have bookmarked:

1. Dollars Tough Sell on the Streets of Amsterdam

2. Director Anthony Minghella Dies :-(

3. Venice Travel Guide

4. Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Sauce

5. The Apple Store

6. Postcard from Provence

7. Ink Provoking

8. NY Times

9. Men's Dress Shirts

10. GOOD Magazine---Where's the Beef?

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Keep on truckin'
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

tgif

I don't know who I feel more sorry for:

1. Juan the vet, who had to drain the precious Boo's anal glands today.

2. The precious Boo, who had to have her anal glands drained today.

3. Me, who had to hold her back end up so that Juan the vet could drain the precious Boo's anal glands.

Yeah, big TGIF. :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Monday monday
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

ipod shuffle

1. Today Is the Day by Yo La Tengo

2. She's Crafty by Beastie Boys

3. Quality of Armor by Guided by Voices

4. Just 14 by Original Sins

5. Certain Stars by Superchunk

6. Music When the Lights Go Out by The Libertines

7. Ace of Spades by Link Wray

8. What's a Simple Man to Do? by Steve Earle

9. Sweet Forgiveness by Iris DeMent

10. Spiritual by Johnny Cash

on the reading pile

Currently on my reading pile (mind you, this is just the reading pile in the bedroom; we won't even discuss the stack to read on the bookshelves...):

1. Mustn't Grumble: In Search of England and the English by Joe Bennett

2. Red Sky at Sunrise by Laurie Lee

3. Miss McKirdy's Daughters Will Now Dance the Highland Fling by Barbara Kinghorn

4. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink

5. The Olive Season by Carol Drinkwater

6. The Jeeves Omnibus #1 by P.G. Wodehouse

7. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo

8. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

9. Diary for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappe

10. The Grilling Season by Diane Mott Davidson

11. Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Spring cleaning....
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

excuses excuses

Reasons I did not post this past weekend:

1. Had a work deadline Friday, and then

2. Big Jim arrived home for the weekend.

3. Big Jim arrived home for the weekend.

4. Big Jim arrived home for the weekend.

5. Big Jim arrived home for the weekend.

6. Spent Saturday on the coast. Ate shrimp and added many pieces to my sea glass collection.

7. Worked most of yesterday getting the garden ready for the arrival of la primavera.

8. Monitored the Spanish election results Sunday (in case you have not heard, Zapatero was reelected :-). And then,

9. Big Jim returned to the Hague this morning.

But to make it up to you, here are the latest Bode pics. :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

fave podcasts

currently on my iPod:

* BBC Africa Today

* Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac

* CBC The North This Week

* BBC Excess Baggage

* NPR Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!

* PRI Selected Shorts

* The Rachel Maddow Show

* The Archers

* This American Life

* BBC Profile

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

a vent in two lists

Ok, I need to vent and there is no one to vent to because:

1. It is siesta in the village and it would be rude to call anyone

2. Big Jim is off doing important work things

3. My mother is not answering the phone

4. The dogs just want to kiss me and the kitten just wants to bite me

So I went back to the doctor today, and the kidney infection is all healed, yay! However, at both visits my blood pressure was elevated, very strange for someone who historically has been a steady 100/70 and whose only vice is cheese. True, there is a genetic link that cannot be overlooked, and several people in my family do have high blood pressure. Which is where my doctor remained focused and thus scheduled another appointment for me next week, at which time he wants me to wear a monitor for 24 hours to eliminate any possibility that doctor office nervousness is causing the high BP before prescribing me meds that I will have to take for the rest of my life.

Now I am not saying the doctor is not right, but both Big Jim and I are natural-born skeptics, and on the bus ride back to the village I went over in my mind anything that had changed semi-recently that could also be a reason. The mobile vibrated as Big Jim SMS'd me with exactly the same thought I had just had---the eye drops I have been taking for glaucoma for the past year.

As soon as I greeted the pets, I googled the brand name of the eye drops, and lo and behold what is their most common nonocular adverse effect: hyperFUCKINGtension! I have suffered some of the ocular side effects of the drops---overgrown eyelashes and occasionally puffy eyelids---so why wouldn't I also possibly be affected by some of their other nasties.

Ok, now I want to know:

1. Why didn't my ophthalmologist ever ask me about my family history regarding hypertension? Come to think of it, I don't know that he ever inquired about my own BP history....

2. Why didn't the doctor today look into possible adverse effects of the glaucoma med? I listed it on my medical history form.

3. Why, as a result of #2, do I feel that I can do a better differential diagnosis than my doctors?

4. If I indeed have to stop taking the glaucoma eye drops, can I qualify for a medical marijuana prescription? Just curious.....

And geez, if I didn't have hyperFUCKINGtension before, between this and Brett Favre's retirement (tears have been shed), I sure do now!

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: 105,16€ AND Snow snow snow
2 years ago: What's new
1 year ago: March garden

in season

For the past eight months or so, I have been buying much of our produce from JL, a Spanish organic farmer who delivers orders to the village every two weeks. All of the fruit and veg have been amazingly yummy and fresh, the carrots and beets full of dirt from just being picked that morning. And to boot, the bio produce often costs less than the inferior tasting stuff grown under plastic with the chemicals. It's crazy, but even crazier, it has been impossible to find more than eight people in the village to consistently place orders. People always seem really interested when I tell them about JL, but when it comes down to buying anything, everyone has excuses: "I don't cook enough to justify buying a kilo or half kilo of anything," "I can't be tied down to a set pickup time," and "That's a funny looking tomato" when I showed a neighbor one of the juicy beefsteaks in my bag. There are also those who can't understand why beets are not available in August or mangos in January. It is incredibly frustrating I tell you. But anyway, here is the list of produce available for the first week of March:

FRUTAS Y VERDURAS

-Lechuga malagueña------------------------0,90e/pieza
-Lechuga hoja de roble---------------------0,80 e/pieza
-Aguacates-----------------------------------2,20 e/kg
-Naranjas-------------------------------------1 e/kg
-Limones--------------------------------------1 e/kg
-Tomate---------------------------------------1,60 e/kg
-Rabanillas------------------------------------1 e/manojo
-Nabos-----------------------------------------1 e/manojo
-Acelgas---------------------------------------1,20 e/manojo
-Guisantes-------------------------------------3 e/kg (FRESH PEAS, HOW GREAT IS THAT!)
-Habas-----------------------------------------1,20 e/kg
-Coles------------------------------------------1 e/kg
-Coliflor----------------------------------------1,30 e/kg
-Zanahoria------------------------------------1 e/manojo
-Remolacha-----------------------------------2 e/kg
-Apio------------------------------------------ 1 e/manojo
-Cilantro---------------------------------------0,65 e/manojo
-Perejil-----------------------------------------0,65 e/manojo

My huge bag of veg this week cost a measly €6,80, which is less than the kilo of leeks and red peppers I bought from the Saturday market a few weeks ago. And now my stomach is growling, so I am off to make dinner. :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

spanish lesson

Not an original list I'm afraid (lifted from here), but amusing nevertheless. :-)

Top 10 Spanish expressions that do not translate well

10. A otro perro con ese hueso.
(You're putting me on.)

Literal: To another dog with that bone.

9. Antes que te cases mira lo que haces.
(Look before you leap.)

Literal: Before you marry, look at what you do.

8. Cada quien tiene su manera de matar pulgas.
(There's more than one way to skin the cat.)

Literal: Everyone has his/her own way to kill fleas.

7. Como el burro que tocó la flauta.
(By pure luck.)

Literal: As the donkey played the flute.

6. Salir de Guatemala y meterse en guatepeor.
(Out of the frying pan and into the fire.)

Literal: To leave Guatemala and arrive in worse cornstalks.

5. El hijo de la gata, ratones mata.
(Like father, like son.)

Literal: The son of the cat kills mice.

4. Entrada de caballo, salida de burro.
(Don't start something you can't finish.)

Literal: Enter on horseback, leave on a donkey.

3. Tener más lana que un borrego.
(To have money to burn.)

Literal: To have more wool than a lamb.

2. Yo tengo una tía que toca la guitarra.
(What's that got to do with the price of tea in China?)

Literal: I have an aunt that plays the guitar.

1. Ir a donde el rey va solo.
(To powder one's nose.)

Literal: To go where the king goes alone.

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: No entry.
2 years ago: Clinging to youth.
1 year ago: No entry.

bedding and bags

Big Jim is a horder and I am a purger, and it is as simple as that. Ok, I have amassed a collection of magazine and newspaper clippings, but the file folders in which I keep them (semi) organized PLUS 10+ years of journals could all fit into a medium-sized Rubbermaid tub, and thus I don't see it as a problem.

Today I spent clearing out our washroom/storage room, and my main mission was to inventory the suitcases and what was being stowed away in each of them. This should be a relatively easy task, considering we are two people, but the job took hours to complete. Here are the bag stats:

4 super-sized "overseas" suitcases

2 garment bags

2 mid-sized suitcases

1 small wheelie case

2 large duffle bags, 1 of which converts to a backpack

4 assorted other "carryon" bags

3 large cotton zipper bags

(+ god knows how many suitcases Big Jim has with him in Holland)

Of these bags, precisely three are mine: two of the supersized suitcases and one of the large duffle bags. Always one to look on the bright side, however, if Big Jim did not have all of this travel gear, we would have nowhere to keep our extra bedding! To give you some idea, here is a tally of what I found in the cases:

6 euro-sized down pillows

2 standard pillows

2 twin down duvets

2 twin duvet covers and matching pillow shams, sheets, etc.

2 silk full-sized bed covers

1 cotton and silk full-sized bed cover

1 full-sized Nordic duvet

1 tapestry-type full-sized bed cover with matching shams

1 queen-sized Amish quilt

1 full-sized comforter

Note that this list does not include the duvets, covers, sheets that we use regularly. For example, Big Jim bought the silk numbers in Pakistan, and as beautiful as they are, I can't see us using them in our own bedroom as long as it doubles as a bedroom for the pet menagerie. Perhaps they will eventually find a home in a guest room..... Also not included is the large shopping bag of sheets and duvet/pillow covers that Big Jim finally agreed I could give to the charity shop because I hate them. BJ buys bed things that are superbright red, royal blue, gold, and black. I need muted tones in the bedroom, so these perfectly good matching sets have not been used in the past six years. Therefore, they are being shipped out to new homes where they will be appreciated. Besides, if we were going to keep them, that would mean having to get another suitcase for their storage, and THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!

:-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Customs nightmare
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

the lost week/more nablopomo

Posting has been pretty infrequent of late I know. But I do have a good reason for this past week's absence. Meet my new BFF (or at least until next Tuesday):

Now normally I do not embrace pharmaceuticals warmly, but Floxie brought me back to my normal chipper self from one infection I wouldn't wish on (almost) anybody, the evil kidney infection, and for that I LOVE her. After two days of Floxie battling the creepy bacteria, while my temperature bounced between 38 and 39C (look up the conversion, Americans), I awoke Thursday morning feeling almost human again. Seriously, there should be a way to bottle that feeling of "normal" again after a bout with a particularly nasty bug because I don't remember when I felt so GOOD. Just to make sure I wasn't delirious, though, I reached for my another BFF of the moment, the thermometer, and took my temperature one more time. 36.4C: indeed I was back! :-)

But kidney infection aside, I have been slacking here in Blogland, and perhaps other bloggers have been as well because the folks at NaBloPoMo have a new challenge going for March: to post some sort of list every day for this month. And so I have, perhaps foolishly, signed up mylifeinspain for another month of blogging-mania. I can make up whatever list topic I want, but if you have any ideas of your own, feel free to email them or post as a comment. Just keep them relatively clean because my parents are readers. :-)

To stick with the sick theme of the day, today's list is my top 5 most memorable illnesses. I recommend those unable to stomach discussion of body functions, and dysfunctions, to sit this one out. :-)

1. The Great Kidney Infection of February 2008. Obviously.

2. The Way-Overshadowed Dysentery of October 2005. During the afternoon of October 7, Big Jim was off fly-fishing, and I was in our cabin, reading my Pakistan travel guides and looking forward to the next part of our holiday. But in the early evening, my stomach started cramping, and I had to admit that the inevitable bug had finally got me. Big Jim and Nasir were well-prepared, and I was given little packets of mixed spices wrapped in newspaper to stir in with water and then gulp down. Of course, the real earthquake struck just 12 hours later, and suddenly my little tummy troubles became a nonissue (except that Big Jim had to loan me a pair of his underwear). A week later, though, back in Islamabad, I do remember saying, completely exasperated, to BJ, "I just want to be able to tell the difference again between when I am peeing and when I am pooing! That's all I want!!!!" That took another week.

3. Walking Pneumonia of September 1998. This started as a cold after a visit to San Francisco in late August and then stream-rolled into something that erythromycin couldn't tackle. Eventually my doctor brought in the big guns, azithromycin, and I slowly began to get well. But not after 3 weeks of one of my favorite months of the year were gone. :-(

4. The Possible Salmonella Poisoning of November 1995. An old boyfriend (OB) and I had driven out to Colorado and New Mexico on vacation, and we celebrated Thanksgiving at one of those buffet places near Taos. All was well until the drive back, and I started to feel sick in Oklahoma City. We couldn't find anywhere to eat but a Cracker Barrel, and all I desperately wanted was a bowl of broth, and of course the only soups on the menu involved a boiled-up ham hock. We were on a fairly tight schedule to get back to Philly, but there was one stop left on our tour, Graceland. As usual, we stayed at a Motel 6, this one just off Elvis Presley Boulevard. I was still unable to eat much of anything, but OB did his best to get me plain toast and biscuits from the nearby Bob Evans'. We were up early the next morning to make sure we got in on one of the first tours. But as we perused the official gift shop, I was overcome by stomach cramps unlike anything I have ever known. I curled up in a fetal position on the floor, which lessened the pain for some reason, and told OB there was no way in hell I could see Graceland. He agreed and helped me to the rental car, and we carried on our way home. But I am pretty sure he never forgave me.

5. The 24-Hour-Bug of Christmas 1978/1979. This one was obviously a standout because of the holiday, although the bug was also pretty nasty (the kind where one sits on the toilet while holding a basin for vomiting). I was also devastated because I somehow managed to get diarrhea on my brand new Christmas raccoon slippers and was so grossed out I don't believe I ever wore them again. To boot, the rest of the family went off to my grandparents' house, LEAVING ME HOME ALONE! (Clearly, I need more therapy to help put this behind me.)

Fortunately, I don't get sick very often, but I suppose that is why each bloody virus and bacterium remain finely etched in my little brain. :-) A lighter list topic tomorrow I promise.....

hasta luego,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Getting ready
2 years ago: No entry.
1 year ago: No entry.

2007 in review

Holidailies readers please sign the guest book! :-)

*********************************

* A great start to the new year in Tavertet, a beautiful village in northern Barcelona province

* Big Jim started his work contract in the Hague

* An early spring, which made for a pretty March garden on the terrace

* I received my first birthday card from El Corte Ingles

* A lovely May Day hike with Big Jim and the pups

* Despite swearing to buy no new plants this year, the garden somehow seems to have taken over the terrace more than ever

* Big Jim's 50th birthday bash

* August brought long days at the beach and a Gipsy Pimp

* My grandmother
celebrated her 96th birthday

* Monkey!

* November visit to Brussels

* The arrival of Bode kitty

* A fabulous visit to the US (and it ain't over yet!)

Happy New Year everyone, and thanks again to all the Holidailies readers this past month. Hope you continue to stop by in 2008. We are sure it will prove to be an interesting year. :-)

Must dash as I am off here to eat my last piece of meat ever!

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

10 things most people don't know about me

1. I am a HUGE, like never miss an episode, fan of "The Archers".
2. I occasionally snore, but quietly. Really, ask Big Jim.
3. I am going Mac.
4. I am allergic to penicillin.
5. I know way more celebrity gossip than anyone would suspect. Test me I dare. AND I can do US and UK celebrities. How many daughters does Kerry Katona have, and with whom? Same for Jordan, aka Katie Price? Or it that Katie Price Andre?
6. Giving up meat as of 1/1/08. Hopefully, this will go better than when I gave up celebrity gossip rags last year.
7. I had a breast lump biopsied in September. It was benign.
8. I play Sims 2 almost every day on my lunch break.
9. I only got to 37,000+ words in NNWM this November. :-( But I am not beating myself up about it too much because I am pretty happy with the start I made and will just keep working on it in December.
10. Only 23 days (no, it can't be!) until we leave for our US holiday.

Something Bode learned today:

NaBloPoMo ends today. I did better than I thought I would, only missing the days we spent in Brussels. So I have decided to carry on the daily postings through January 1. December is going to be an exciting month for us, to top off what already has been a very good year for Big Jim and me. And of course, there will be more Bode pics. (And the pups too! And of all our travels!) :-)

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

you know you've lived in spain when....

I normally try to refrain from making sweeping generalizations, but these I found too true to ignore. :-) To see the complete list, go here.

• You think adding lemonade, Fanta, or even Coke to red wine is perfectly acceptable. Especially at lunch time.
• You aren't just surprised that the plumber/electrician/delivery person has turned up on time, you're surprised he turned up at all.
• You think it's fine to comment on everyone's appearance.
• Not giving every new acquaintance dos besos seems so rude.
• You're shocked by people getting their legs out at the first hint of sun; surely they should wait until at least late June.
• You think the precious aceite is a vital part of every meal. And don't understand how anyone could think olive oil on toast is weird.
• You don't see sunflower seeds as a healthy snack; they're just what all the cool kids eat.
• Every sentence you speak contains at least one of these words: bueno, hombre, vale, venga, and pues nada...
• You know what resaca means.
• You know how to eat boquerones.
• You eat lunch after 2pm and would never even think of having your evening meal before 9.
• You know how to change a bombona.
• The fact that all the male (or female) members of a family have the same first name doesn't surprise you.
• The sound of mopeds in the background is the soundtrack to your life.
• You know that the mullet didn't just happen in the 80s. It is alive and well in Spain. (Mullets and the long "tail" thing from like 25 years ago are both v. popular in the village. Seriously.)
• You know the difference between cojones and cajones, tener calor and estar caliente, bacalao and bakalao, pollo and polla...and maybe you learned the differences the hard way!
• You know ensaladilla rusa has nothing to do with Russia. (My recipe for it is here.)
• You know that ahora doesn't really mean "now".
• You make arrangements to meet friends at 3, the first person turns up at 3:15...if you're lucky!
• Central heating is most definitely a foreign concept. In winter, you just huddle around the heater under the table and pull the blanket up over your knees...and sleep with about 5 blankets on your bed (And I wear a wool hat indoors!)
• Women think that clear bra straps are in fact invisible.
• It's totally normal for a kitchen to have a deep-fat fryer but no kettle.
• You know what a guiri is and may have been called one
• You add super in front of any adjective for emphasis (I know I do this ALL the time, and in English too. :-)
• Blonde girls start to think their name is rubia.
• You accept that paying with a 50-euro note is going to get you a dirty look if you're buying something that costs less than 40 euros.
• If something is great, it's de puta madre.
• You can eat up to 5 times a day: first breakfast, 2nd breakfast around 11:30, almuerzo, merienda, and cena. (This I do every day, and if I don't get my five meals, I become v., v. cranky. Ask Big Jim. :-)

hasta mañana,
mylifeinspain

3 years ago: Happy Birthday, M.A.!
2 years ago: Foto Friday
1 year ago: No entry.

more reasons to love l'avenc

• The quiet! No machinery, no construction, no motos! The only sounds seemed to be our own: book page turning and the occasional deep contented sigh of a drowsy, worn-out pup. :-)
• The beautiful stone buildings, which Big Jim and I confess we prefer over the white-washed style of the south. But perhaps BJ's opinion was clouded slightly by his pretrip project because he commented several times: "And no painting required!"
• The trees! And the GREEN everywhere---something Big Jim and I also realized we miss.
• Speaking of green, L'Avenc's mission statement outlines their commitment to greener living. For example, solar panels discretely placed on the mountainside above provide much of the power; recycling buckets are provided so that bottles and tins can be sorted out, as well as a separate container is given for organic matter to add to the compost heap; only energy-saving lightbulbs are used; eco/bio-friendly cleaning products are supplied for the kitchen and laundry facilities; and the Parris family, although vegetarians, will gladly point omnivores in the direction of the local organic carnicerias.
• The friendliness of the people in the nearby villages.
• The AMAZING (dare I say French-inspired) pastries and breads. And I normally am not even a pain au chocolat-kind of gal. :-)
• The generosity of the Parris family, who had the thoughtfulness to leave us be most of the time but also to invite us for a Christmas drink, as well as to their New Year's Eve fete.
• Having a husband who appreciates the value of doing "nothing" for two weeks. :-)
• Lots of interesting foodstuffs to sample in the markets (T.: the wasabi powder was our own, however, purchased wethinks in Holland a little while back)

• For providing us the first truly relaxing vacation---the kind that doesn't exhaust or overstimulate so that when you return home you feel as though you need another holiday, but rather refuels and inspires so that you are truly excited to get on with life---we've had in ages, perhaps ever. :-) :-) :-)

hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

how'd you get here

As birthday week continues, here are some of my favorite searches used to find mylifeinspain:

• "banana hammock" (thanks to Big Jim's preferred choice of swimsuit)
• "floaty bits in my eye" (had been #1 on google for awhile, sadly has since slipped to third)
• "urdu dictionary of spice things" (huh?)
• "Big Jim's chili seeds"
• "Islamabad whores"
• "nasty Spanish house"
• "snuzzles"
• "sergio ramos girlfriend" (several hits for this actually)

Hope you all weren't too disappointed when you found this little site (I suspect those looking for Islamabad whores and a "nasty Spanish house" probably were). :-)

Continue to sign the guestbook please, and thanks to everyone who did already! (glad I didn't get you into trouble, mom. :-)

Reminder: Spain vs. France @ 21:00 CET tonight. mylifeinspain will be in the plaza, along with half the village, to watch the match on the big-screen tv that has been installed for the month-long WC.

P.S. The Socceroos were ROBBED. Italy should be ashamed. That's all I'm saying.

hasta manana,

mylifeinspain

what's new

• C.K. is almost back to her old self, much to the relief of her family. Oddly, my parents' cat Gunther, also celebrating his 18th birthday this year, suffered a similar spell at precisely the same time. Spooky or what? Happily, he also appears to be on the mend.
• Big Jim has been offered a job (1-year contract) in Dubai. His acceptance depends on the outcome of a conversation with our friend D. from Munich. D. is already working on the project, you see, and quickly realized how insanely expensive housing is there. Manhattan, eat your heart out. Seriously. If D. can manage to find a decent place for them to share, then Big Jim may be shipping out in the next week or so. ( :-( )
• Despite my aforementioned :-(, I give full blessing if the details can be ironed out to Big Jim's satisfaction.
• For those already in the know, job would not affect our current repopulation efforts. Would simply mean I would be making regular long-haul booty calls.
• If he does accept the contact, I am eager to investigate sand skiing, which from what I read is popular sport in the UAE.
• But I reiterate, all depends on the housing situation. The only apartments I could find on the Internets were marina-front penthouses for $40,000/month, or scary-looking dirty high-rises with $3500/month studios. I have learned never to celebrate until the ink is dry on the contract.
• Julian, from Postcards from Provence (on my list of blogs I read) and painter of this, which I gave to Big Jim on our first wedding anniversary, recently was the subject of an article in the New York Times. He has now sold every painting from his archives, and his daily offerings are off the block in minutes. Wow. Am happy for him because he's a talented guy, as well as decent sort of folk. He sent us a Christmas card. :-)
• Have created an album here just of Pakistan photos. Have begun to upload photos, but there are many, many, so keep looking for updates. A few you can also find in the blog archives, especially those from the earthquake, but most are newly posted.
• My 94-year-old grandmother moved yesterday from her house into an assisted living facility, which it truly is, not just euphemistically speaking. At her assessment, she scored 100% correct on the cognitive testing and was assigned a level 2 for need of care (1 being least/4 needing most). She has her own room, her own furniture, etc., and can pretty much do as she pleases. Plus she also has friends living there, which undoubtedly will make the transition easier.
• A shout-out to J.K. and S., my former Oscar-watching/bashing buddies. Will be thinking of you both when I get up at 6:00 am Monday to check out the winners/dresses. Hope you both have a fun night. :-)
• I have absolutely perfected my impersonation of the superfoul-mouthed Calamity Jane from HBO's Deadwood series. Seriously, it is so spot-on I freak myself out and then fall into heaps of uncontrollable laughter. I love CJ, I love Deadwood; it is my tribute. (Probably a good thing Spring is on the way so I can come out of hibernation and put my winter romance with the DVD player behind me.)

hasta pronto,

mylifeinspain

miscellaneous stuff

I am having a brain dump of things I have been wanting to write about for a long time but haven't gotten around to....

1. American Express: the credit card that cares. Having deduced from my shopping spree at the Maharaja shop in Islamabad, which I paid for with my AmEx card, that I was in Pakistan, a representative from AmEx called a couple days after the earthquake to see whether I was okay and whether there was anything they could do to help out. How cool is that?
2. British Airways sucks: Be careful of your baggage weight when you travel BA. The allowance on our 7.5-hour flight from Islamabad was only 23 kg (51 pounds) per person. Additionally, their excess baggage charges are huge, about $20US/kg, or essentially $10US/lb. Big Jim and I got hammered. :-( And the staff was incredibly rude to boot. Dude tried to tell me this weight limit was standard among major airlines. Bull! Air France allows 70 lb/person and Lufthansa 100 lb/person on long-haul flights. Also be careful with your carry-on luggage---BA only allows 6 kg (13 lb) per person and will charge you a flat fee of a couple hundred bucks if you are over. Boo hiss BA. Also, before our London-bound plane took off from Islamabad, the flight attendants sprayed the entire cabin with this nasty insect spray. Totally gross.
3. Only 13 days until our annual pilgrimage to the US. Must remember to buy Christmas cards this weekend.
4. One thing I did not like about Pakistan was that when men introduce or talk about their wives or daughters they never address them by name. They just say, "This is my wife. This is my daughter." Not true for their sons. Also, men always shake hands and often hug when greeting one another. Women get a handshake at most. Felt very stifled, especially after all the besitos and hugging that goes on in Spain.
5. I have been suckered into attending the "Olde Time Music Night" in the village Friday night. Think barbershop quartet. Think poor me. Perhaps come down with sudden case of el gripe?
6. Last night I had my first earthquake dream, almost two months afterward. Was sitting in my parents' living room, watching afternoon soaps with my mother, when all the figurines on the shelves above the old platform rocker started shaking. I woke myself up before any more could happen, but the tremor sensations were very real. Spooky.
7. T. brought Big Jim a present last weekend: a round of the stinkiest cheese ever, a Swiss variety call Tete du Moine. I despise it simply because its vile odor permeates the fridge and all of its contents, even when stored in its own proper little (supposedly) air-tight container. Imagine my delight, oops horror, when I came home from Spanish class this week and found that the pups had pulled it down from the butcher block and devoured 90% of it. Hmmm, now who could have left it so close to the edge AND forgotten to shut the kitchen door....
8. On the subject of pet food choices, have I ever mentioned how much C.K. loves peas? The one sure-fire way to get her to emerge from the kitty basket is to open a can of peas. Or leave a pot of them on the stovetop uncovered. She is insane for peas.
9. No news yet on the job interview. Our friend D. from Munich also interviewed for a position on the same project last Friday; he hasn't heard anything either. Still keeping fingers and toes crossed. Would be fabulous if Big Jim and D. could work together again.
10. Not really sure how much I like the new guy in my Spanish class. He seems too caught up in being perfect all the time, rather than building on what he already knows. He also can't really seem to grasp the conversational lean to the class. He prefers exercises and homework. Am hanging in there for now, but may have to discuss with Miguel come the new year.
Hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

10 things i was going to write about the past week had it not sped by so quickly

1. This tiny, tiny baby gecko I found in our washroom one night.

Same little guy, but up close. Dig his Spiderman-like grips, so cool.

2. Took off work Friday afternoon to have long lunch with L.

3. Found out Big Jim's contract in Islamabad will officially end September 30, which is good because that means he can be tourist with me during my vacation in Pakistan (can you say "air safari over K2"...can't wait!). Also good because we hope he can find a new contract closer to home. He has started to apply for jobs and brushed off the CV.

4. We added Barcelona to our list of potential new places to move to.

5. Along with the pups, enjoyed clear sunny blue skies.

precious Boo

and Mr. Beebs

6. Went to the post office to retrieve a couple packages I know for sure are waiting (and waiting) to be delivered (and contain some time-sensitive material). After I wait in the queue for 15 minutes, a woman I have never seen there before tells me I have to come back another time because, see like, the package is in the back (yeah, so?) and she is busy waiting on people. As I stomp out perplexed, I spot the huge stacks of late notices from the electric company. It appears no one in the village hss received their initial electric bill again (myself included). This is bull *bleep*.

7. I bought three paintings from an English artist who lives in the village. Will post fotos after S. delivers them to the house later this week.

8. Meet one of the pups' new friends. She (Lady Bird) and her mate have recently moved into a space along the goat track.

Normally, she is up and about and likes to come to fence to greet us. And let me tell ya, Lady Bird is one, big bird.

9. Went to a birthday lunch for my neighbor R. on Sunday. His birthday is 9/11. His brother's birthday is 3/11 (day of the Madrid bombing, for those who have forgotten). Creepy. But the lunch was delicious.

10. My friends I. and R. from Norway have relocated to the village permanently. I. and Big Jim can have contests to see who can talk the most at dinner and who can make the best curry. Competition will be tight. :-)

Hasta pronto,
mylifeinspain

friday time waster

My friend B. e-mails these questions to her friends every year. Most of the time, most of us never bother to respond to her because we are bad and lazy friends. The premise is you delete your friend's answers, complete the questions yourself, e-mail to all of your friends, and ask them to do the same, returning their responses to you. You think you know everything there is to know about your friends, but do you? :-) Anyway, I have skipped the e-mail step and just posted my responses here.

1. What time did you get up this morning?
9:15 am

2. Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds, my birthstone

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason---amusing but not as good as the first movie or the books for that matter.

4. What is your favorite TV show?
Don't have one anymore because only use TV for watching DVDs, ie no cable, no satellite, and the 2.5 Spanish stations we can tune in are crap.

5. What did you have for breakfast?
Haven't had it yet, but it will be two pieces of toast with butter/Marmite and Actimel, which is a Bio/yogurty sort of drink.

6. What is your middle name?
Suzanne

7. Favorite cuisine?
Jeez, I love 'em all. But if backed into a corner, I would have to say Vietnamese.

8. What foods do you dislike?
(Most) organ meats (I do like a good pate), chocolate/orange dessert combos (makes my face scrunch up), the horribly smelling aged Swiss cheese that Big Jim insists on keeping in the fridge (think it's called "tete du monde"; correction, I have checked and the correct name is "tete du moine"....would not want to offend any stinky cheese fans).

9. What is your favorite crisp (potato chip) flavor?
I like plain Spanish chips, which are done in olive oil.

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment?
Tossup of several....Best of Guided by Voices, the John Doe Thing, Aimee Mann, and Vienna Teng, when I need something girly.

11. What kind of car?
the much-bitched-about Peugeot 405

12. Favorite sandwich?
Plain tuna in olive oil with roasted red peppers, or my homemade egg salad

13. What characteristic do you despise?
In general, mean people, particularly the greedy selfish sorts; currently, those who insist that my detached retina occurred because I spend a lot of time in front of a computer, particularly those who continue to insist this is the case despite my presentation of the medical evidence that correctly identifies the true source of the problem, ie my high myopia. I finally shut up someone yesterday by telling them about my neighbor Placido, who had the same problem in the same eye as I and he's a campo farmer who has never sat in front of a computer but also is extremely myopic. Admittedly I am getting too sensitive about this, but people who have this almost "blame the victim" mentality about all illnesses get under my skin. True, some medical problems can be avoided by general healthy living, but OTHERS JUST HAPPEN PEOPLE!!!!

14. Favorite item of clothing?
Black cashmere turtleneck (other wool makes me itchy, but see #17 for my shopping tip on buying better clothes at bargain prices)

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation
where would you go?
I have goal to visit every continent before I croak; the next "big" trip Big Jim and I are planning is to Bhutan...

16. What color is your bathroom?
Blue and white tile

17. Favorite brand of clothing?
Oilily and Marc Jacobs *I hardly buy anything retail anymore, except at end-of-season, rock bottom sales; just about everything in my closet now has come from eBay.

18. Where would you retire to?
Not sure yet. In a perfect world, I would like to have a place here in Spain and an old farmhouse back in PA Dutchland.

19. Favorite time of the day?
Between 4 and 5 am, when the rest of the world is asleep and all is still and quiet.

20. What was your most memorable birthday?
21....I turned 21 during the middle of the Seville feria.

21. Where were you born?
West Reading, PA

22. Favorite sport to watch?
Football, both American and Real Madrid (because the boys are so pretty, w/ the exception of Ronaldo)

23. What fabric detergent do you use?
Colon. Seriously. It's a common Spanish brand.

24. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Used to be morning person back in the US. In Spain, I follow the sun. In the summer, I am usually up by 6:30 am but also go to bed later because sun does not set until after 10 pm; in the winter, it's difficult to get up before 9 am because it is still dark.

25. What is your shoe size?
7.5 US/38 Euro

26. Do you have any pets?
Two pups/one aged diva kitty

27. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with
friends and family?
Three days until Big Jim is back in Spain! But you all already knew that. :-)

28. What did you want to be when you were little?
Writer or lawyer; I also wrote an essay in 6th grade on why I should be the first woman president. That aspiration was very short lived. :-)

Happy Friday!
mylifeinspain

10 things i love about big jim

I have never been one for Hallmarky holidays, but in honor of St. Valentine, here is a "top 10" tribute to Big Jim.

1. He still makes me gushy (and hence do lists like this one :-)
2. He is one of the most generous people I have ever met....to me, to my family, and our friends
3. He is a tremendously good cook, always able to whip up something fabulous from whatever we have in the kitchen (BJ, hereafter I will never mention the curried fish-stuffed pancakes ;-)
4. He is also an excellent nursemaid, when these service are required. He is very good with the teas and lemon and honey, toast and crackers, and generally being a sympathetic spirit
5. He is an absolutely great friend
6. He is not afraid to cry; whenever we watch a sentimental movie, it's a tossup who will turn on their sprinklers first
7. He is a really hard worker; this is of course important to me and my PA Dutch work ethic. When he starts a project, he completely devotes himself to it
8. A former boyfriend's mother once described me (negatively) as a "free spirit"; Big Jim doesn't run away from this; rather, he embraces this aspect of my personality completely
9. His kind and caring gestures, like the way he always manages to secretly fill my hot water bottle, wrap my PJs around it, and tuck in the bed, so that all are toasty warm when I get sleepy
10. His morning "bed head", which makes him look so cute I often beg him not to comb it :-)

xxoo, mylifeinspain