Painful!

I knew that playing six games was going to prove painful but I expected to feel stiff and sore tomorrow morning, not tonight.

It was tiring and I noticed that my back was starting to hurt during the fourth game but carried on playing. Worse on the fifth and by the sixth I was struggling. How I managed a score of 151 I know not!

Well, I'm still suffering even after painkillers but with a little luck it might settle down before morning.

Bits and Bats

Sue is now home from hospital and looked really well when I went to see her last Thursday. No running around for a while yet and she has a cartload of tablets to take every day but there's nothing better than your own bed. I'll be popping in again tomorrow to keep her up to date with the local gossip unless someone beats me to it!

I have new shiny taps in my bathroom. Brian ended up doing it and it was done and dusted within four days. Quite a record for him and NO swearing! The shower is brilliant. Shona will be impressed!

Thanks to Mark for his explanation of my funny MSN thing. I did a scan and changed my password and after changing my antivirus from Nod32 to AVG all seems to be well so far. What is the point of starting these virus things?

About a month ago I was asked to write a weekly newsletter for the new bar and it's becoming quite popular. It's just local news and a few adverts but I'm now finding that people are asking for items to be included. I'm enjoying doing it and it does give me a bit of a buzz when I see folk reading and discussing it.

Ros and I have two matches to play at the bowling on Monday. She went off to England a couple of weeks ago to see her daughter married which has left us behind. Playing six games after a four week break could hurt!

Flights

I was talking to a Thomson rep today who is currently working sixteen hour days at Tenerife Sur Airport. He reckons that it will take at least ten more days before all the stranded passengers are returned to the UK. It's costing more than 700 Euros for a single flight at the moment.

Around six years ago I booked return flights to Manchester through a travel agent and ended up on Loco Airways. The whole thing was abysmal. I seem to recall that the plane was a DC10 with over five hundred folk on board. Water was dripping from the ceiling and running down the walls. We were packed in so tightly that we couldn't even read a book. Loco means 'mad' in Spanish which explains a lot!

Since then I've only used reputable airlines, mainly First Choice. I'm such a scaredy cat but for some reason I feel safer with them. Thank goodness I didn't feel tempted to book elsewhere this time and lose out on my money and my holiday.

Taps

I was lounging on the sofa this morning playing an old PS2 game when Brian came out of the bathroom moaning that the top of the washbasin tap had snapped off. His cunning plan was to find a jug and fill it from the bath tap. Back to peace and the PS2.

Not for long though. Two minutes later and he was back clutching his empty jug. It seems that the bath tap came off in his hand too!!

As it incorporates the shower we are in a bit of a pickle until the mending man turns up. It is far too hot to become one of the great unwashed.

I'm still finding it really funny although the prospect of washing my hair in the bidet tomorrow could stop my giggles.

Sue

We went to visit Sue this afternoon in the Green Clinic. I was half expecting to see her lying with tubes and stuff as she didn't leave Intensive Care until Thursday. I'm obviously watching too many hospital dramas!

She does have a couple of bleeping machines and a couple of drips but on the whole she looked really good in the circumstances. Part of her lung had to be removed because of an infection which interfered with her epiglottis so she's only allowed soup and yogurt until her stitches heal. A bit basic but I'm not up on all the technical terms. They brought her some camomile tea whilst we were there.............poor girl was dying for a decent brew!

Neither Brian, nor I are comfortable with hospitals but we enjoyed the natter until the nebuliser turned up. Exit stage left!

So Strange

A few of my Messenger contacts have asked me about messages which I'm supposed to have sent to them. One mate insisted that she'd had one from me whilst my computer was in the repair shop!

I also had an email from MSN yesterday saying that I'd requested a password change. I deleted it immediately but it's all really weird.

As soon as my recent virus struck I stopped opening emails and shut down Messenger so I'm sure it can't be that. Someone please enlighten me.

Bits and Bats

We have a new bar in the village...........just what we needed to join the other forty plus bars we already have!! To be honest, it's really nice. The blokes can sit downstairs and watch the footie whilst us women are able to natter all we want in the upstairs bar.

Ros and I are doing really well at the bowling this season. We've won the last three games and are near to the top of the league. It won't last when we start playing the big boys but we are enjoying it while we can.

My grandson, Martin and nephew Bradley both started at senior school this week. Bradley said it was fine and according to my daughter, Martin went off terrified and returned home with the biggest grin! Jamie has started her third year so it's serious stuff from now on.

Sue goes into hospital on Monday for her major operation. We'll all be thinking of her and I'll go to see her as soon as I'm allowed in.

Look out for a Clio blog as she has a big confession to make!

The End of Summer

In just short of a week the Canarian children will be going back to school after their three month break. The people who are lucky enough to own an apartment in the South and a home in the North are packing up and moving out. The onset of winter looms......such as it is!

We have also noticed that the 'Swallows' are returning. Those folk who live in England and Germany during the summer are coming back to their second homes in Tenerife. It's amazing how things can change so much in a small village.

Not that it bothers us and it's so interesting to watch!

Really Bad

I have no idea what I did but my computer was invaded by a really wicked virus recently. Having tried a system restore and also trying to start again in safe mode I realised that it was completely beyond me and off to the shop it went.

As usual we were on 'Tenerife Time' and I've been without it for around ten days. I think that matey felt a little sorry for me as he's installed a couple of goodies. Microsoft Word 2007 and I now have Messenger in English. He's also set up my system for an English keyboard which would have been great should I have one!

My Money Factory

Brian has a dish in the kitchen where he shoves his loose change into along with his house keys and other sundry items. You wouldn´t believe how much I can collect over a couple of months for my money factory.

The bronze stuff is shared between Charlotte´s money box and Doreen´s charity, the Music and the Deaf, but I take the gold for whatever I´m saving for at the time.

I´m hankering after one of those mini laptops at the moment as I´m dreading being without internet access whilst I´m in England in October. Seventy Euros so far and counting!

Lucky Me!

I´ve just booked a flight to Manchester in October and I really can´t wait to get off this island for a week. It´s a good place to be but after eight months or so without a break from the sun, I fancy a good downpour!

Not just that. I miss my family so much. I´m staying with my brother and his wife, Alison, and their two boys, Dean and Bradley. I´ll also be able to meet up with my son and his family. Katie is due to give birth to my new grandson just before I arrive. Let´s hope that he turns up on time so I can give him a big cuddle. I haven´t seen Tully for so long and want to give her a big hug too!

When I first came here, seven years ago, I hoped that we would all visit each other but the price of flights put paid to that and I rarely see them.

Not to worry, I got a really good deal............212 Euros return with First Choice. Roll on October!

Bless Her

I haven´t a photo of her but my friend June died in England on Saturday night.

She was such a happy, funny woman and I´m sure that the world will miss her. To her partner and her family, we send our best wishes.

Bless you, June xx

Well Funny

The owner of our apartment turned up today. We haven´t seen him for four or five years but invited him in and offered him a drink. He doesn´t speak a word of English but we understood that he was interested to see if we were happy enough and he stressed that he was happy with us.

Brian asked him if he had a spare key for our lock-up and to be well honest we didn´t really understand his reply and saw him off with lots of ´buenos tardes´. Five minutes later and he was back with the biggest bagful of keys I´ve ever seen. Off they went down to the garage followed by Clio and all was sorted. He managed to find two keys that fit and we gave him a new key for the main door.

Spanish/English relations can be really cool and he is such a lovely bloke. He makes me chuckle.

Mentioning Clio...............she went off for her shampoo and set today. Four hours without her was a little like watching your child go for it´s first day at school. I won´t steal her thunder as she wants to do her own blog tomorrow.

Friends Reunited

I joined up with this years ago when it first came out and continued to pay my subscription for quite a while after. Nothing really came out of it and I eventually gave up.

Along with lots of other folk by the looks of it as it´s now free and is being advertised daily on ITV. I´ve had three or four ´buzzes´ this week from people I went to Junior school with all those years ago. I admit to answering one of them as he displayed a pic and I could remember him clear as day. Unfortunately, he hasn´t aged too well looking at his ´after´ pic!

Another couple of names that I don´t recollect but one girl´s name is so familiar but can I recall her? Happen I´ll sleep on it.

I wonder how many other people are wandering around memory lane thanks to this advertisement campaign.

Fiesta Time Again!

Another year has passed by and the Fiesta started at half six on Tuesday morning. I awoke to the sound of fireworks but managed to dose off again for a few minutes until a brass band started up outside my bedroom window!

I don´t have a problem with most of it but I´m a little bit aggrieved with one of my neighbours this evening. She seems to have started a dog nursery whilst her and her family go out to celebrate. Non-stop barking for the last three hours and another six to go before they all come home.

Oh well, when in Spain so they say and happen we will join in on Saturday night!

Key Problems

Dopey went and lost his house keys last Friday which wouldn´t have been too much of a problem if we had spares for the garage and the lock-up. How many times have I mentioned it? Today´s mission was to borrow a garage key from my neighbour and get some new ones cut. The lock-up will be a major job as it needs drilling out.............the drill is inside!!

To make matters worse the Community President has decided to change the lock on the main door and to leave keys in the mail box. Fair enough if you are indoors but if I remember rightly I was out the last time he did it. Grrrrrr.................

Birthday Bash

We had a pleasant evening at Maz´s birthday party on Friday.

Lots of lovely food and nice music.

Thanks to both Maz and Bernard for a great evening xxx

Hotel Gran Melia Palacio de Isora

Brian and I had a wander around the perimeter of the new hotel in Alcala last week. It´s a five minute drive from us but could be on a different planet. Not your ordinary loungers but double beds under a bamboo roof with silk curtains all around. The main pool is the full length of the site and it´s rumoured that the occupants of the suites have their own personal butler.

We did consider popping into the bar for a quick beer but decided that wasn´t quite our scene!

I must admit that it really is quite beautiful.

Bits and Bats

I have been suffering with sun burn from my recent trip to Las Americas. The first time I´ve been burned whilst I´ve lived here. It was stupid of me to wander around for three hours with a strappy top on but I didn´t think of it at the time. Thankfully, the sore bit has gone although I´m left with an itchy, flaking back.

Monday bowling has started again. The new owners of the Bowling Alley are in the middle of renovating it which is interesting. Lilac and yellow walls!

I´ve been trying my hand at painting this week. I´ve decided that I have been looking my yellow walls long enough and it´s time for a change. I´ve chosen white as I have a dark blue suite on my wish list and reckon it would be a good combination.

Friday night is party night as it´s Maz´s sixtieth birthday. She´s having a ´bit of a do´ at Raul´s Bar with a hot buffet and fifty guests. We rarely go out during the evening so it will make a nice change.

Internet Friendly!

Maz rang earlier to ask me to check something out on the internet for her. I was busily typing in the www. thingy and didn´t quite hear the last letter. Having asked if it was `d´ for dog or `b´ for bernard I got `no it´s `p´for flaming prick´!!