What Is Left To Say

In our house, there's peace, love, and mutual respect. Wish it could be the same everywhere.

What's Cooking On The Beach

Summer season is upon us, Fuengirola is getting busier (and more Spanish), and all the chiringuitos (the restaurants right on the beach) have fresh, skewered sardines cooking on open fires. I took these photos Monday. Most of what's cooking looked delicious. But wait until you see the last photo!

LARGER FISH AND SHELLFISH ARE ALSO POPULAR.

A FRIENDLY CHEF OF THE SKEWER.

WE ALL KNOW I'M NO COOK, BUT EVEN I CAN TELL
THE BUNS ARE BURNING!!!

Doctor My Eyes

Don't worry. The lased eye is doing fine. But take a look at what I spotted on the paseo last night. I'm not supposed to turn my head quickly, so I had to do a slow-motion double-take.

Sorry it's blurry; I must have focused with my left eye.

I thought this guy deserved a page all his own, even if he has put back my recovery by at least a week.

Was I unwise to leave them open for so long?

Eye Eye, Sir

Monday afternoon, I found myself swatting swarms of gnats and here and there a fly away from my face.

I never once hit one.

Floaters. In my left eye. It was very disconcerting.

Tuesday, the floaters were worse. Along with flies and gnats, I now had the most unusual inky looking swirling lines that changed in pressure and varied from black to sepia. I thought, "Well this is kind of beautiful and not at all annoying." But the swirls were quickly gone, leaving only the gnats and flies.

Wednesday, when I noticed that, in addition to the floaters, the vision in my left eye had become slightly cloudy, I remembered that San Geraldo had recently had a similar experience in his right eye (the floaters, not the cloudiness). He didn't describe his as anything so interesting or beautiful (but then, he wouldn't). He went to the ophthalmologist and learned that he had a vitreal detachment, a common problem with sometimes dangerous results. He was fortunate that his required no treatment and has gotten less noticeable with time.

I thought, "Well, maybe I should call for an appointment."

Then I told San Geraldo about the cloudy vision, and he said, "We need to go to Urgent Care."

Well, I didn't just have a detachment, I had a torn retina (probably a result of a violent sneezing fit early Monday) needing immediate surgery. The tear was medium in size and went far back, which made it difficult for the doctor to reach it all during laser repair. But so far so good. I have to go back Tuesday.

The worst part of all this — other than the fact that I can't do any kind of physical activity for two weeks, although the doctor did tell me I could "stroll" if I liked. (I don't know how to "stroll"! There's fast and there's less fast.) — Anyway, the worst is that I lost my mobile phone somewhere between the hospital and home and had to buy a new one today.

There is a lesson here: I probably should listen more to San Geraldo. Oh Captain, My Captain!

MY PUPIL IS STILL DILATED... IT REMINDS ME OF MY UNIVERSITY DAYS!

Dudo's Dream House

We needed/wanted a new scratching post/cat tree for the boys to replace the old one, which was cheap, unstable, and not really large enough. San Geraldo found a great option on Overstock.com (who ship almost anywhere!!!) that could be had for only $130. Shipping was an additional $145 (apparently shoppers in Canada can get that same deal). So much for Overstock.com.

San Geraldo found another tree that turned out to be even better. The boys are in love with it. As you can see from the photos, they knew it was theirs before I even assembled it last night.

Dudo has spent more than 23 of the last 24 hours on and in his dream house. Moose is welcome to join him, but he'd better not even think about trying to go a level above Dudo. Dudo made that very clear this afternoon.

I call it Dudo's Dream House because although Moose likes it, we get the sense from Dudo that "It's exactly what I've wanted my entire life!!! OMG!!! I love you so much!!!" 

(Click the images to really feel the love.)

I UNPACKED AND THE BOYS MADE THEMSELVES AT HOME.
MOOSE LOVED RUNNING ACROSS THE ROPE COLUMNS... LIKE A LOGGER.

DUDO SETTLED IN FOR A FEW HOURS.

I WOKE HIM WHEN I NEEDED THE BOX AND
HE SIMPLY MOVED TO THE NEXT AVAILABLE PLATFORM.

BEDTIME ON LEVEL FOUR.

THIS MORNING.

THIS AFTERNOON,
WITH THE OLD ONE IN BACKGROUND.

EARLIER THIS EVENING.

AND RIGHT NOW.

Too Many Cooks

I've been at it again. Cooking almost every day now. San Geraldo, not to be outdone, cooked up a big pot of chili while also baking four loaves of Brown Sugar Banana-Date Bread. Show off!

I had to clean up after us both. Take a look at the photos and tell me who YOU'D rather clean up after. (I'm not asking who you'd rather have cook for you!)

Chef San Geraldo

I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE OTHER (EQUALLY BAD) HALF OF THE KITCHEN

THE FIRST TIME I'VE EVER HAD TO WASH A CANDLE.
("SOMEONE" MIGHT HAVE CONSIDERED MOVING IT BEFORE HE COOKED.)

Chef Mitchell

THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN COOKING WITH EVERY DAY.
BELGIAN CHOCOLATE PROTEIN POWDER.

THIS IS THE MESS I MAKE.

Click here to see the complete, page-long recipe for San Geraldo's mess (the banana-date bread, not the chili). See below for my neat and complete recipe.

Mitchell-is-Moving's Super-Delicious Braun-Blended Gourmet Belgian-Chocolate–Flavoured Whey Concentrate Protein Shake

Step 1: Mix 1 scoop of protein powder with 200ml (6.7628 US fluid ounces) of semi-skimmed milk (or water).

Don't make it easy for the clean-up woman (or man)...

Things, Like A Walk In The Park

While Judyshannonstreetwhat was still here in May, we took a ride to Benalmádena. It's the city just east of us and comprises Benalmádena Pueblo (where I saw Paula perform with the marching band during Corpus Christi, click here), Arroyo de la Miel (a bit lower down the mountain from the pueblo), and Benalmádena Costa (along the coast).

We were meeting our friend Kristina for a walk in Paloma Park (still further down the hill from Arroyo de la Miel) and then planned to continue down to the beach where we'd have lunch. All went as planned, the company was great, and the weather was glorious.

LOOKING BACK AT THE TRAIN STATION IN ARROYO DE LA MIEL.

HEADING DOWNHILL.

AND MY MOTHER ALWAYS SAID, "COTTON DOESN'T GROW ON TREES!"

OH, WAIT. I DON'T THINK SHE SAID COTTON.
NOW, WHAT WAS IT? 

EACH FLOWER LOOKS LIKE A SMALL BELL.

THE EAST ENTRANCE TO PALOMA PARK.

ONE OF A FEW BRONZE HEADS NEAR THE NORTH ENTRANCE.

FROM THIS ANGLE, IT LOOKS LIKE THE TREE IN THE PREVIOUS SHOT.

KRISTINA BROUGHT FOOD FOR THE WILDLIFE. 

WE WERE SURPRISED WHEN THIS LESSER EGRET JOINED IN. 

BUT HE JUST WAITED FOR THE LITTLE FISH TO SURFACE.
HE'D THEN PICK THEM OFF ONE AT A TIME.

MORE THAN 2,000 CACTI FROM MORE THAN 450 SPECIES.

KRISTINA'S DOG, ELLIOT, LOVING THE GRASS.

Oddly, I was singing this song to San Geraldo just the other night... (He thought it was odd, too — the song, not the fact that I was singing; he's used to that).

Grandpa's Bridge Too Far

I think I might have mentioned that when we were in Toledo last month we walked many of the same paths as San Geraldo's famous ancestors.

Had the weather been nicer (remember the rain every day except the last?), I would have done an ancestry tour. Fortunately, as we taxied back to the train station, we passed one of the bridges I hadn't gotten a chance to see.

Known in Spanish as Puente de Alcántara, Alcántara Bridge spans the Targus River that rings the old city. It was built by the Romans between 104 and 106 AD by order of Emperor Trajan.

In 1085, San Geraldo's 27-greats grandfather, Alfonso VI, crossed the bridge after taking Toledo, the first major city in the Christian Reconquista.

I'm glad San Geraldo is more enlightened — if no less regal — than many of his ancestors.

(Click the images. You know why.)

WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE IN 1899.
(CLICK HERE FOR PHOTO INFORMATION.)

117 YEARS LATER, ON A SIMILAR APPROACH TO THE PREVIOUS PHOTO.
THAT'S ALFONSO VI'S GRANDSON'S ARM HANGING OUT THE TAXI WINDOW.

CARS BEHIND US. NO CHANCE TO STOP.

CASTILLO SAN SERVANDO, TOP RIGHT. ORIGINALLY A MONASTERY BUILT
AROUND THE 7TH CENTURY. NOW A YOUTH HOSTEL. 

THE GATE (AT LEFT IN TOP PHOTO).

LEAVING THE CITY BY WAY OF A SLIGHTLY MORE MODERN BRIDGE.

NEXT TIME, I'LL GET SAN GERALDO TO REENACT GRANDPA'S ENTRY INTO THE CITY.
(JUST THE HORSEBACK RIDE... OK, AND THE CLOTHES. DEFINITELY THE CLOTHES.)

Mix N[ot] Match

I'm beginning to like the 'look.'

I won't be sporting any of these combinations any time soon. But my attitude is changing.

I THINK THIS ONE WAS JUST TOO MUCH FOR MY CAMERA.

Feline Foto Bomb

Another Update On the Residency Cards:

We were back at Málaga's Foreigners Office today and our paperwork was accepted. Now we wait for approval, go back with new photos, and then wait another month or so for our new cards. San Geraldo hasn't stopped thanking me for finding the old passports, which made the application process so easy. I'm embarrassed to take credit for making things so easy when I'm the one who tossed the old passports in a box and forgot about them, making things stressful in the first place. The fault was mine. San Geraldo is very kind.

It's All About Dudo
San Geraldo has been planting plants and straightening up the terrace. So, garden tools, ornaments and furniture are sitting in some odd spots until his work is done. Moose loves to settle amid detritus wherever he finds it. Files stacked on the bed in San Geraldo's Office? A perfect head rest. Sheet music on the floor by the piano? A bed. Clothes dropped on the floor? Another bed. A towel? The perfect cushion.

So Moose decided to join a few items left on a chaise lounge. He looked kind of cute, so I grabbed my camera to get some shoots from the bedroom window. Dudo, who had been following me around, had other ideas.

"HIM? WOULDN'T YOU RATHER LOOK AT ME?"

"NO, REALLY, I'M RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!"

"ME. ME. ME!"

"I CAN FILL THE ENTIRE FRAME NO MATTER WHERE YOU MOVE."

"SEE HOW COORDINATED I AM? AND LITHE?

"WHY BOTHER WITH THAT LUMP?!?"

"THAT'S NOT EVEN A POSE. BORING!"