Friday the 13th!!!!


Washing done and out drying yesterday. Then went into Guardamar to re-register mobiles and dongle, all with Vodafone. Seems that until we did this we were being charged at maximum rate and not the 18 cents/minute after 8pm as we thought we were. So we have spent nearly £55 on phone calls in 1 week!

Today we went back to Alicante Nissan, to get the new Navara key, €125 and probably not as much as I was expecting. As I did not have the actual key number they wanted to take the ignition system apart to get it. I’m sure it is at home or the dealer I bought it from has it. If not it’s booked in for 10am on Wednesday.

It seems that as I did not fill out the insurance papers for the Porsche (it is an old one!) they may cancel, so I asked them to fax to the site and they did! The idea is the Porsche sits in a garage at home for when we fly back at Christmas and other times planned in the next 8 months away. Also as a back up vehicle for Adam and Heather.
Nice touch.

Last night I told the missus to get her glad rags on and I would take her out. So she got all excited had a quick wipe round with a flannel and put her best dress on. “Where are we driving to?” “We are not driving, we are walking”. What I had not told her is that I had heard that the “restaurant” on the camp was doing a “special” three course meal for €7 a head. Actually it was quite good although she is still not talking to me.

Saturday 14th

It’s 12ºC this morning and feels a bit chilly. Mind you I understand that in the U.K. at the moment you can only wish for such a high temperature anytime in the day. Prediction here is a steady rise to about 22ºC by afternoon, I understand it’s a bit wet there as well?

Well, survived “the 13th” without any more bad luck although she did fall asleep mumbling something about cushions.

I hate cushions, what are they for? If I sit in a chair and there’s a cushion on it, I throw it off. Let’s be logical about this, let’s say I’m a chair, three piece suite or whatever designer. I make a chair that is comfortable and you can sit on without putting your back out, then do I scoop out a space so a bloody cushion can fit in, I don’t think so. It’s only women who like them, unless you are a bit of a pillow biter yourself and if so I rather you were reading someone else’s blog thank you.

It’s just something else to spend money on that is just not needed. Anyway it looks like we are going to the market today to get some.

Last night Tricia said, “What are we going to do at the week end?” I nearly spilt my beer. Life now IS a continuous week end, no holidays to look forward to, we are in them already. BTW if you are not retired and this is pissing you off, just skip this bit.

In fact I get fed up when I read in my diary “Bank Holiday”. WE don’t get them anymore, you guys do and it’s just not fair. When I was (gulp) working I used to look forward to that long week end, being able to BBQ and have a few beers on a Sunday night. Now all that’s gone because I can do that every night, it’s really just not fair.

Adam photographed the Navara key and e-mailed it to me, put it on to a USB stick, up to reception and it’s now printed, isn’t technology wonderful? It will certainly save the Spanish mechanics from ripping open my steering lock.

I can just imagine, here’s your key number, unfortunately your car won’t start anymore and they will hand me couple of bolts and a piece of string. Which is what always happens when I undertake any mechanical jobs.

Took the “Dysan” to bits for a clean, 2 screws, re-built my Yamaha Fazer motorcycle engine, 4 screws , 3 bolts and piece of bent metal that did not seem to fit any thing. (I felt it prudent not to tell the wife at the time as we were just off for a 2,000 tour of Europe) Serviced the car, 3 nuts and a hand brush, I’ve no idea where that came from.

It’s probably a good job I’m not a surgeon!

Cycled into La Marina, a local village, couple of coffees met some fellow Geordies and had a chat and then back via Macedona to top up the wine by a gallon or so.

It’s now clouded over but still quite warm. Now watching England get beaten by Brazil on the only English channel we receive here. Choice after is we eat in or go and watch an Elvis impersonator. Tried him, just a guy from Halifax, walks in the door picks up the mike and starts to sing erm…no thanks.

Figured out why uploading pics is a no go, depending on the time of day the “broadband” drops to 2kb/s, so I’ll get them together and upload all at once using the 3G dongle.

Sunday 15th (Is it ever going to end? Am I going to wake up and be back in East Grinstead?)

Managed to pull an “all-nighter” last night and before you ask it’s not what you think. When a gentleman gets to a certain age managing to last all night without getting up for a pee is something of an achievement.

It’s “chuckie egg” day, every Sunday Tricia must have two boiled eggs and toast. We only have two egg cups so what does that mean, yep none for me and I end up eating mine out of a paper bag or whatever. So last night I thought if I did scrambled or poached eggs it would not matter and I get to use a plate. So I said to her “How would you like your eggs in the morning?” “Unfertilised” was the answer. Going to be a dull day.
But actually it’s not; yesterday ended cloudy and today it’s 24ºC and a bright blue sky. What’s it like in the UK at the moment? Just seen the news and you guys have got it pretty bad back there.

Going to cycle to Rojales today, about 10 miles round trip so should help burn off all those calories we ate and drank last night. Also found out that we CAN use our BBQ, apparently it’s one of those rules that are just ignored.

Still have not received the replacement Visa card as promised last week, has it been stolen? Will call them using our new land line phone card that costs €6 and gives you 1 hour of calls to the UK, or anywhere else for that matter, at any time of day.

For the first time since we arrived there was more than just me in the showers, no I don’t mean in my cubicle. I found out that unlike Benicassim where when you hear a flush or another shower is turned on, you have about 2 seconds to get out of the shower before you are either boiled or frozen. Not here, it’s bloody instant. There I was bent over cleaning my feet, checking for calluses as you do, when it went very, very cold. Well I don’t’ think I’ll ever see my testicles ever again.

Luckily (luckily?), I had just finished and the water shut off! The guy in the adjoining cubicle was German and had obviously just “soaped up”, I’ve never heard so many German obscenities in my life. The water did not come on again for 3 hours.

That will teach them not to annex the Sudetenland.

Sorry I guess this is just word association but I remembered a while back when I was in London on business and I witnessed an accident. A car had knocked down a Rabbi near Newgate street; I bent down to ask him if he was comfortable, “I manage, but my pension could be better”.
I keep getting “This copy of office is not genuine” when I start Word, Outlook etc. How do the bastids know? This is a genuine rip off copy I got from a mate of mine years ago. The reason is that MS still manages to talk to your PC, when connected to the internet, even when you have ticked all the boxes to say it can’t. What’s that about eh, it’s an invasion of privacy, that’s what it is.