Monthly Archives: May 2011

it’s a conspiracy!

31 Tuesday May 2011

Posted by in cancer, cats, holidays, hospitals, Malaga, summer, travel, trips

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At first I thought it was a simple game of “where’s Loki?” that the two boys were enjoying when I took this photo. But recent events have led me to believe that the cats – who are gods, as we all know – are conspiring against me.

I’d thought that having Jessica here at the beginning of July to look after the boys – and especially Azar – was a sign that I should plan a few days away in Málaga before the next PET scan. And if Nog could get away for the weekend this would also provide Jessica & Thomas with a nice possibility for a romantic few days at casa az, enjoying the space and the terraza…

The first problemita occurred when Manolo said he wouldn’t know if his apartment would be available until about two weeks before that weekend. But I remained hopeful that it would work out. So I planned to leave just after my next oncology appointment, the day after Jessica got back (July 6th), which would have given me a few fab days in Málaga on my own before Nog came to join me. And all the while I would know that the cats were in very good hands.

Well THEN I got a booking request for a Sevilla Tapas Tour for July 7th – for five people! – and just couldn’t turn down that kind of money. But then I thought – hey – depending on Jessica’s schedule I could go for the weekend with Nog, then he could come back the following Monday (July 11th) to look after the cats, while I stayed on to enjoy my pre-scan holiday for a few more days.

Nope. Today I got a notice in the mail saying my appointment to go over all the heart tests that I had done after the scary four-hour tachycardia incident which ended up with me wearing a holter was booked for Monday, July 11th. Well Hell!

I just wonder how he does it. Is it the ears? In any case, it seems clear to me that Azar is moving heaven and earth to make sure I don’t go away this summer, and that Loki is in cahoots…

tapas galore!

30 Monday May 2011

Posted by in cats, food & drink, friends, restaurants, sevilla, tapas, twitter, work

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It was a very full day, in every sense of the word. First twitter friends @annalibera and @jorgeguitian came over to see the new place and we had a cold Galician beer and a tortilla snack up on the rooftop. As you can see, Loki was being his usual shy self (ha). Then we went out to a neighbourhood favourite – Casa Antonio – for some lunch…


Then after a quick late afternoon meeting with Victoria about her new website and store I was off on another tapas tour. This time we went over the bridge to Triana, which I think is going to become a nice option, especially in the summer as it’s always a bit cooler down by the river. Rick and Michelle were very happy with their tapas …

It was great fun but I’ll have to do a double session at the gym mañana!

enough!

29 Sunday May 2011

Posted by in home, sevilla

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So this is the sight I came home to this evening…

This is the same bar in my building that recently reopened after having been closed for years… the same bar that caught on fire in the middle of the night and sent all of us outside clutching our most treasured possessions. And the same bar that promised they would be serving tapas and be a “family style” place. Bullshit. It’s a cheap drinks bar and they reopened (again) this week, after doing repairs from the fire.

Well, I’m not having it. Don’t get me wrong. I used to love the “hum of humanity” sound from all the tapas bars on my old street, and even found it comforting. Listening to people chatting and enjoying good food and conversation. But those bars all closed by midnight and the bar owners made sure they cleaned the outside areas. Trust me, the sound of young hipster types drinking to excess is not pleasant, and the mess they leave behind is appalling.

This bar owner also has the sleazy after-hours bar just down the street, which is so tiny that everyone ends up taking their drinks outside, mostly under my bedroom window – from 6 to 9am! – which is irksome beyond belief. It’s not been too unbearable up till now as I’ve had the double-glazed windows closed. But basically, I’ve had enough. I’ve spoken to the bar owner and clearly nothing is going to be done as all he seems to be able to say in his defense is that he has a licence.

I happen to know that he does not have a licence to make noise all night and disturb the neighbours so I am starting to organise the neighbourhood to sign a petition and take it to city hall. Enough!