Monthly Archives: January 2011

epiphany

06 Thursday Jan 2011

Posted by in birthdays, fiestas, friends, spain

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…aka Los Reyes Magos or Three Kings Day

This celebration typically marks the end of the festive season in Spain, though I always extend it one day more to include my birthday (natch). Last night there was the cabalgata, a parade featuring Los Reyes Magos who ride around on floats tossing sweets out to the hoards of children that line the route, and at midnight the Christmas lights were switched off. Today there will be family dinners with gifts (giving presents on Christmas Eve/Day is a relatively new practice here), then tomorrow kids go back to school and normal life begins again. Though I’m actually working today and have a biz meeting at 5 o’clock – beats just sitting around waiting for my English students to come back from their holidays.

Planned to have an epiphany today but, you know…

more gifts…

05 Wednesday Jan 2011

Posted by in christmas, friends, home

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It was a very non-materialistic Christmas at casa az this year – mostly because I’m broke. So I wasn’t able to get gifts for anyone, although I did get myself some Elixir perfume early in December and also made a couple of nice festive meals for me and Nog (though we didn’t end up with bogavantes).

But I did get a few nice gifts from friends, including the amazing Night Before Christmas book from Teuchter and these two surprises – some fab Simon’s Cat fridge magnets from Sara & Steve and a lovely set of Japanese toiletries from dragonqueen in a happy green box (she also threw in a stripey catnip sardine for Loki – click on the pic to enlarge) which I opened up in a neighbourhood octopus bar, as you do.

Last but not least, I also received Paypal gifts from Sledpress and Mudhooks, which I was told to use on anything special I wanted. Thanks guys – you covered this week’s vet bills and helped me take care of Azar, which was a very special gift indeed.

I actually think this was one of my best Christmases ever.
How was yours?

three words.me

04 Tuesday Jan 2011

Posted by in blogging, internet, social media

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Have you ever had to describe yourself in three words? You know what a daunting challenge that can be. What about if you wanted someone else to describe you in three words? ThreeWords.me is a site that lets people do just that.

I suppose this could turn out horribly wrong or otherwise embarrassing, but so far it’s just a bit of fun. Seems everyone turns up as Anonymous, so you can leave a comment to identify yourself if you like. And link here to your own three words.me page!

more hope

03 Monday Jan 2011

Posted by in cancer, home, hope, life stuff

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On January 3rd 2009 I put up my first ever Photohunt entry – that week’s theme was “Hope”. It was a photo of my old suede daybook showing January 3rd 2010 with the words STILL HERE written on the page, because in 2008 I’d been  diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer, had gone through three major operations and one nasty bout of chemo and had also been told my chances of survival weren’t very good. The next year I did the same thing for the following January 3rd after having had a recurrence and more chemo, and I tell ya, it was wonderful this morning to see those words again and still actually be here. With another PET scan coming up this month I’m starting to get very nervous once again.

And so here is today’s STILL HERE pic written on the page for January 3rd 2012 (taken in bed with iPhone, hence a bit fuzzy). I really really hope to see you then!

poor azar…

02 Sunday Jan 2011

Posted by in cats, health & happiness, home

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Towards the end of my tapas tour yesterday (with a lovely couple from London, Alison & Michael) I got a call from Nog saying that Azar was “in distress”, going to the litter box and crying, etc. And so I got home as fast as I could and the poor thing really was looking sad. He was also throwing up, which he’s done before when straining to go in the box. He didn’t seem hungry at all but remained very thirsty. This is a photo I took a couple of weeks ago when he started only wanting to drink water from “my glass” so I got out a different glass for him and since then it’s been his own private one. But I could tell that he was drinking and peeing a lot more than usual and feared the worst – chronic kidney disease like Sunny had. I was actually planning to take him in for a full check-up (blood tests, the works) after the holidays, but now looks like I’ll be going tomorrow.

After a very fretful night with poor Azar up and down (and leaking poop everywhere – eww!) I was almost ready to take him in to the emergency vet service this morning, because I hadn’t actually seen him pee since I got home yesterday and when I called them yesterday I was told the primary problem may actually be a blocked urethra. But just now, after yet another long drink, he peed in the box no problem. Then strained again to poop and ended up throwing up all the water. So… I dunno. I think he’ll be okay waiting to see his own vet tomorrow morning. Not only does the emergency vet service cost a lot more, but it’s a vet who has never seen Azar before, doesn’t know his history, etc. Meanwhile, am going out to the pharmacy to ask about a mild suppository, like they give to babies, to see if this might alleviate the immediate problem.

My beautiful boy. Ever since his “mystery illness” last year every day with him has felt like a gift, and I have worried every time he sneezed or seemed a bit out of sorts. But perhaps this will also turn out to be just another glitch in the “old age” thing and he’ll stay with us for some time to come. Hoping with all my heart that this is so.