Category Archives: cats

dishwasher 101

22 Thursday Aug 2019

Posted by in casa azahar, cats

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

, ,

I remember being all excited when I moved in to the present Casa Azahar two years ago and saw there was a functioning dishwasher. It certainly came in handy after moving and unpacking. After that I stocked up on dishwashing pods (2 for 1 offer! because man, those things are expensive) but after an initial flurry of frequent-ish use, I stopped. There just never seemed to be enough washing up to justify using it (though my friend Gabriella tells me they actually use less water than washing a few things out in the sink).

Anyhoo… earlier this month I wanted to use it but it had been, um, maybe a year since the last time? So I put some stuff in that I don’t eat from (dish draining tray, utensil holder, etc) to put it through a cycle to clean the thing out first. Then I was going to use it again yesterday and wondered if I should run it through a cycle again first as it had been three weeks. So… halp!

If a dishwasher isn’t being used frequently, how often should it be cleaned out by running it through a cycle? Or does it have to be? Also, those detergent pods I stocked up on? They’re looking kind of weird now. Do these things go off?

first of her name…

16 Friday Aug 2019

Posted by in casa azahar, cats, home

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, ,

Morcilla, first of her name, queen of her realm, destroyer of soft furnishings, nimble of paw, frisky of nature, cuteness personified. Also, a very silly girl 😉

I know we’re not supposed to have favourites (children, pets, etc) but we always do. Before it was Azar, and now it is this little monkey. Morcilla is six and a half and still looks – and acts – like a kitten. And she’s hilarious. Loves to play and has me wrapped around her cute little paw. I cannot resist or deny her anything. Could you?

post-traumatic heebie-jeebies

12 Monday Aug 2019

Posted by in casa azahar, cats, home

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

, ,

I speak for all three of us – myself, Luna and Morcilla – when I say that this morning’s exploits were nothing short of heroic. Leaving Loki out of this because, well, he’s a big lazy galoot and chose not to get involved. It all started when I sat up in bed and saw both girls staring intently at the little bookcases that are under the bedroom window. And I just knew it had to be my worst nightmare, something I always dread in summer.

Of course I am speaking of Periplaneta Americana, AKA the massive cockroaches that arrived in Spain on the ships travelling back here from the Americas. The largest of the cockroach family, these muthafuckas also FLY. Yes they do. Arrrrgh.

In all of my years here in Sevilla, in the various casa azahars, sightings have been limited to maybe once or twice a year and always in summer (they “come out” more when it’s hot… shudder). Until now I thought my latest casa az was somehow magically protected from these creepy crawly horrors. Alas, it is not. But I suppose I’ve been lucky as it’s been over two years without having seen one.

Anyhow, back to this morning. The girls were not budging. They sat with their bodies rigid, eyes fixed on the bookcase, ready to pounce, and all I could think was… PLEASE DON’T LET IT RUN UNDER THE BED (this actually happened once at the previous casa az, resulting in the disassembly of the bed in the wee hours). I was too stricken with terror to move the bookcases, mere inches from the end of the bed. It was a stalemate situation.

Continue reading →

two years on…

07 Wednesday Aug 2019

Posted by in casa azahar, cats, home, sevilla

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

, , ,


So it has been just over two years since I moved to the new Casa Azahar, which is officially the 5th Casa Azahar in my 26 years living in Sevilla (if you count moving across the hall from number 2 to number 3). I spent 1 year in Casa 1, 18 years in Casas 2-3, 5 years in Casa 4 and now 2 years in Casa 5. I have fond memories of all my homes here, even though Casa 4 ended on a sour note with the landlady. But each time I changed homes it was for somewhere better.

At first I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the present Casa Azahar. It was smaller than the previous two, so some serious downsizing was required, which in retrospect was probably a good thing (though in the end I also had to buy some new furniture). And I knew the cats would miss having stairs to play on. But it was attractive, had good light, and was in a good location, so I decided to go for it.

And now, two years on, I can’t imagine ever wanting to live anywhere else. I’ve never felt so at home before and every day I feel delighted and grateful to have this comfy-cosy place to live in. I really love it here, crazy downstairs neighbour notwithstanding, and okay, the kitchen could do with some love. Though the BEST LANDLORD EVER did replace the old cooker with an induction one and install the oven I brought over from the previous place. He also installed all the light fixtures I’d bought after moving in, and quickly replaced the A/C unit when it died. In fact, he has always been amazing about everything.  So I really hope I can continue living here for a long time to come.

Anyhow, I thought it would be fun to make a present day photo collage just like the one I made after I first viewed the apartment. This time with furniture and… cats! (you may have to zoom in to spot them)

Where was the best place you’ve lived?