Category Archives: sevilla

prepping for the HEAT

12 Monday May 2025

Posted by in casa azahar, home, seasons, sevilla, spain, summer

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I can’t live without electric fans. If I had my way (and if they weren’t so ugly) I’d have ceiling fans in every room. Last year I splashed out on this new Rowenta, intending it to replace the old faithful one I’d had for about twenty years, in the end held together by by twist ties and luck, until that luck finally ran out. Originally destined for my bedroom (and I did try it there) it was better suited for the living room, mostly because it didn’t have a timer and I don’t always want or need it going all night. Also it’s more attractive and I see it all day there (unlike in my bedroom).

Out of the two other identical bedroom fans bought years ago, Peter’s had begun sounding like a turbo jet engine, which he dealt with last summer by sleeping on his good ear. So this year he has inherited mine (which is totally fine, so far) and I’ve got this new one. Silent AF! With a timer. It also oscillates all over the damn place, not a feature I’m interested in, so side-to-side mode for me. But you know, with all these electronic features I expect it to conk out long before my old faithful one did, or even before the newer Rowenta (which just has a quaint three-speed dial, nada más).

Now waiting for handyman Luis to come over to do the annual filter cleaning on the AC unit. And then, fingers crossed, all is set for the summer HEAT.

72 hour survival kit

05 Monday May 2025

Posted by in casa azahar, home, sevilla, spain

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Last week’s massive power outage – el gran apagón – made us all take heed of the 72 hour survival kit recommended by the European Commission earlier this year. It seems pretty basic, but I was surprised to see I don’t have everything on it. Have you got something similar at home? Anything missing?

✅ Bottled water (minimum 5 litres per person)  
✅ Easy-to-prepare, non-perishable food  needs update
❌ A battery-powered radio
❓ A flashlight  it’s around here somewhere
✅ A spare cell phone battery  two!
❌ A portable stove or cooker (and bottled gas)  NA
❌ Fuel  NA
✅ Matches
✅ Cash
✅ Medications  usually 1-2 week’s worth
❌ Iodine tablets  what?
❓First aid supplies  some
✅Adhesive tape
✅ A fire extinguisher
✅ Hygiene items 

My additions…
✅ Cat food
✅ Cat sand
❌ Tea candle lanterns (3)  going shopping
❌ A multi-use knife
❌ Extra batteries (for radio & flashlight) need to stock up

I always say that I could probably last for at least two weeks off what is in my pantry, but I should probably rethink that a bit in terms of practical meals. And I always have enough cat food and sand to last for a month! Priorities. But will also get extra water in for them.

The tea candle lanterns… a must have I think. It’s like having night lights and they are cat-proof. And there is no way I would last long in the pitch dark without dying of a panic attack. Also… cute!

sooo… wut?

02 Friday May 2025

Posted by in health, sevilla

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On Tuesday afternoon, after Peter had returned the Holter to the hospital that morning, I got a call from the Cardiologist. He said that based on his findings he was prescribing two drugs for me to take and they were already on my medical card. Okayyy… I said I would pick them up in the morning and he said… no I needed to start them NOW. Wut? Peter was about to leave for a tapas tour but popped over to the farmacía and came back with just one of the prescriptions, saying they told him the other one wasn’t available for three days. Again… wut?

Anyhow, these are the two drugs I was prescribed. Apocard 100mg (Flecainide) which is used to treat tachycardia. The other, Luxiana 60mg (Edoxaban), is a blood thinner. You can see above that he also prescribed a blood pressure med Bisoprolol, maybe without checking that I was already taking Losartan for that (???).  Obviously I can’t/won’t take both. But can I get in touch with him again to clear this up? Nope.

I mean, you know me. I hate taking meds unless absolutely necessary. But as I already had the Apocard and since it was apparently URGENT that I start taking these meds NOW, I started it on Wednesday. Twice a day. And I was able to get the Luxiana yesterday so am now taking that once a day. Along with the Losartan that I’ve been taking now for a couple of years.

But there was no explanation. Just that I was at high risk for having a stroke. And when I tried asking him more he switched to English saying it didn’t seem like I was understanding him in Spanish. Again… wut?? His English wasn’t all that great and he thought I wasn’t “understanding” him because I had to keep asking him to repeat the drug names. So frustrating. But until I can get the heart ultrasound done – and who knows when that will be – this is supposed to prevent me from dying of a stroke in the meantime.

Not exactly feeling instilled with confidence about all this because I don’t know if this Cardiologist is taking into account that I’ve had tachycardia issues since I was a young and thin 25 year old (I did tell him on Monday) or if he’s just going by the protocol for treating fat 68 year old ladies. Have any of you taken any of these meds?