Working from the kitchen table, an emptier house, while the cats are away ….. planning the weekend

Hi

Here I am again writing midweek for the second time this week. I’m at my “new desk” and Suzy is opposite me with her wonderful Mac probably sending multiple invitations via Twenti or Facebook to her friends to come to dinner tomorrow night!!!

This house is huge and I have my own space for working but since the summer I’ve been using the kitchen table. I think I do it to be more integrated in the household or nearer the family. This way I can perfectly combine my work life balance or am I completely addicted to my computer, outlook, internet, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc?

Oli and Eladio went off fine to Istanbul but were very unlucky with the hotel which was supposed to be 4 star. It turned out to be one of those nightmare places with bugs on the stairs, a nasty smell in the air, a titchy little bedroom and very unfriendly staff. So, yesterday had me fighting with the agency, Viajes Marsans here in Spain and Oli fighting in Istanbul. Oli has always been very good at arguing even the most difficult of cases and has a bit of a lawyer in her makeup. So I can imagine she must have put the fear of God into the local tour operator representative as within
hours the problem was solved and they were settled into a very comfortable clean centrally located brand new hotel.

Today they will be visiting the Grand Bazar and I am looking forward to their bringing back all sorts of Turkish “delights” such as pashminas, tea, baklava, etc.

Meanwhile Suzy, Grandpa and I have been a little lonely at home but are making the best of it but the house does feel empty, especially at night. I am so unused to being without Eladio at home that I feel a bit at a loose end. However, my attitude has been “whilst the cats' away the mice will play” so Suzy and I have been shopping and have watched a couple of series on the TV in the evenings. We are also taking Grandpa (well that’s the excuse) to Ikea this morning and then on to Vips (his choice!) for lunch.

He has been suffering badly from pain in his feet because of acute arthritis and is waiting desperately for the operation which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday. Hopefully this little outing will cheer him up and take his mind off the problem.

Suzy has been planning a macro dinner here tomorrow night and she says I’m invited! However as the guest list gets bigger and bigger and there are no other “grown ups” I have decided to go out to dinner with Fátima – another symptom of the “mice will play” strategy. I think we will be going to, yes, you guessed, our latest favourite: De María.

Then on Sunday Eladio and Oli will be back and very soon the weekend will be over.

But more about that in my next post.

Cheers till then

Masha