Woah! Not blogged since Friday? That cannot be right? Its Wednesday evening now... My Memories isn't so great to remember so far back, need to do more puzzles and games!

So, I think I might have forgotten mention the bogus gas men we have that keep coming around! That's a bit of sarcasm there, sorry amigos! Only I may have forgotten the bit about the two that came to the house, hammering on the front door? I tried to get rid of them, but they wouldn't go, so luckily Franco was here [actually, did I tell you this?], so Franco and these two guys were out on the street shouting! Always shouting going on on our street eh! This time us! Eventually they left... But this was the final trigger to sort out our gas contract etc...

So a legitimate gas man came, from Guadalgas company in de la Torre, we were given his name and phone number, and when he called to arrange the appointment his name came up on the phone... great! He came as arranged yesterday afternoon at 2pm, we did have a gas leak, he changed the few bits that needed changing, we could see they needed it, the cooker was fine, all the parts, and nothing needed doing there, although we had heard the section coming out from the back of the cooker had to be steel[?], but not to worry, probably a bogus gas man collecting on someone's vulnerability! Including a new contract, which will last five years for this house, the cost was 111€... A lot of money, but its done, and legal and we're all safe now, Franco often would light the boiler, unknowingly with the gas leak going on right in front of his face!

We spent the weekend down at Maria's... It was *Game Over* for the trick 'o treater's this year...

Franco and I went down early on Saturday, got a few bits and pieces of shopping, relaxing the rest of the day, Sunday too! There was no stopping us, just relaxing! Well, for me, trying to relax, no internet, I took some books I never read, we just watched tv really, and I still had the thing I do with the candles, food etc, for All Souls day, and night, and the names beneath my candles this year had grown by far too many, 15 more names than last year... And unbeknown's to me, another friend died on Saturday, gave up her fight against cancer....

My Mom's name on the top of the other names/hearts, I must have been in denial, because I never, ever, imagined her there.... I had a bad time really, looking at the flickering candle mostly, talking to Mom in my head, all I think is, this time last year, this time last year....


So, there's Mom and [Step] Dad up there! Dad is wearing his work clothes... What a wonderful apron, full of his paints and staining materials... Mom's cup seems to be matching her outfit there! Heck, wish I had shown her this! This day was a visit from Carol, my Step Mom who was over from Los Angeles... So long ago, now, the boys were little, have a photo of them too.... hang on let me look...

brb...

Nope not scanned onto here... Phew says Barry and Tony!

Back home on Monday morning, back to the here and now by the way.... keep up folks! Franco did some more of the red rubber paint work up on the terrace, so now two thirds done now, Pippa just does not understand the concept of wet paint, we told her her feet would be rubberised for life if she kept that up! Little red Wellington boots, wouldn't she look cute!

And yesterday, Tuesday I was back in Cudeca, very very good day, loads of people in the shop, all buying, and loads of incoming stock, I went over the road for coffies and bought four little biscuit things for a treat, for all our hard work, and the lady in the shop gave me four other lovely biscuits free, cant be bad! She said she wanted to look around the shop, but was open the same time as us, longer in fact either side, and I offered to watch the shop for her, all the wonderful cakes and pastries.... Yummy, not much would left when she came back I said, it would all be in my belly! She laughed, don't know why I was being perfectly serious!

Doctors tomorrow, taking a friend with me to translate... See how we go, so much to tell the doctor and my lessons, and time here so far hasn't included all the medical stuff I need to say, and more, to understand. Another friend is going to doc's an hour before me and has a translator going with her too! We should have shared an appointment!!! Maybe not eh!!

Franco did some more painting yesterday too, but inside, up the stair well, [down the stair well?], and this morning we went down to Fuengirola and had a coffee with friends, we went to the bar that me and the boys first went in back in 1989!!! Only now none of the same staff are there, one was, up to about five years ago.... This morning two guys pitched up outside, one with a guitar and the other a keyboard, amplifier etc, and they were brilliant! People were stopping and enjoying their music, the two guys were really enjoying themselves too, really getting into it, laughing and smiley, not the sort where your trying to get past as fast as you can... They moved on and played in the church square after our bar...

When we said our goodbyes, we headed off to Aki[like Homebase etc, do it yourself store], we needed to get some grilles, we have to put them in the back door, and the kitchen door, to help with ventilation, although we never really shut the kitchen door.... We also have to put one in the outside wall at the front of the house, not sure where, or how! When the reform was done RSJ's run around the both side walls and the ceiling, and there is no gap big enough for a grille! Still the gap around the front door is wider than the gap between the trains and the platform at Berkhamsted train station! A *Mind the gap!* sign should be hung above it!

TTFN
Marian