Val & Petes Weblog

Yes, here we are folks, back in Spain again since last Friday and I must say it is rather nice to be here!

Weather

What a mixed bag we have had this week – a little rain, some beautiful warm sunny, still days and like today gale force winds which makes it feel very cold. Having said that though, it is a darn sight warmer than when we were in the UK so we are not complaining. Well not too loudly anyway.

Health

The day before we came back to Spain I (Val) was diagnosed as definately having Diabetes Type 2. The news did not come as a total surprise as my Mum, 2 sisters and niece were all simarly affected in later life so I suppose I was waiting for it to happen. I am not overly concerned as at least I know that it is something that can be controlled and it could well have been something much nastier.

At the moment it is being treated by diet alone and I have been asked to try and lose a bit of weight as well as that will help. I have been very, very good over the last week. I have changed my diet completely to healthy eating, adhering totally to the advice given to me. I feel that I have already lost a little weight but cannot check as the battery in the scales needed replacing (done today). I was even good when we were out to dinner last Saturday and even managed to resist the very tempting desserts!

Watch this space to see the new slimline Val! Ha, ha!

Next Step – Try to give up smoking!

Socialising

Last Saturday we went out to dinner with our friends Tom and Sarah and their friends who were on a visit from Scotland. We had a great evening, in good company and a wonderful meal in one of our favourite restaurants.

Age Concern

Last Wednesday I had my 62nd birthday (notice I did not say celebrated!) Another birthday, another ache! I woke up to a new pain to join all the others. I must have slept in an awkward position! It is at the top of my right leg and makes getting from a standing to sitting position, vice versa and bending very difficult. Poor old girl.

Pete has his 63rd birthday on Tuesday. Lets hope he fares better!

Gas Russian Roulette!

Since we have lived in Spain we have been on bottled gas. The system has 10 big bottles of gas and you have 5 on line and 5 in reserve. When the gas expires you switch to the reserve and order another 5 which comes within 2 days and it worked pretty good. However 2 years ago we were offered piped gas and thought that would be better so we signed up for it. As with most things in Spain the installation has been slow in coming. They finally did the pipework to connect us to the supply in July of this year at which time we still had 5 bottles of unused gas on line. They told us that when the gas ran out we had to phone them and they would come immediately to install the meter and connect the gas to the house.

We only use gas for cooking and hot water in the summer and one bottle lasts from March until October but once we start using the central heating we go through a bottle in 10 days. In July Pete decided to shut off 4 bottles and use one at a time so that he could monitor when we were likely to run out but what he had not taken into account was that all 5 bottles were partly used. Pete playing gas Russian roulette did not pay off as when we got back last Friday the house was very cold. We put the heating on a left it on for 24 hours to warm the house up and the gas went off, he changed to another bottle which went within a couple of hours and this happened too with all the remaining bottles. So there we were on a weekend – could not contact anyone or buy gas bottles until Monday! So no heating, hot water or cooking!

Fortunately our next door neighbour was able to loan us a spare bottle to tide us over but of course when we rang the installers they could not come immediately and we had to wait until Wednesday afternoon. The loaned bottle of gas lasted us. Phew! The installers turned up as promised. Hooray! But there was a problem. Of course!

2 years ago we had an open gas fire installed and this was not on the gas installers list. It transpires that the gas pipes running from the meter to the house and appliances, although fine for bottled gas, are not big enough to supply piped gas to a boiler, cooker and fireat the same time. So, they did no more than cut the pipe supplying the fire so that we cannot use it! Oh Joy!

A phone call today and we have been told that they will come on Monday to fit bigger pipe work. Hopefully then we will be up and running totally!