Release!

Ah!  The bucolic delights of living in a smallish town where, on a day off, the only things to wake you are the cooing of tree doves (or possibly pigeons, am I an ornithologist?) the chirping of insects enjoying the extended life that our extended Indian summer is giving them; the emptying of the rubbish bins and the barking of the dogs.

The neighbour’s animals, who bray as I type, have now been roundly condemned by my good self as I have visited our ever-helpful city hall and officially complained.  It was also the opportunity to lash out at the thieving, inconsiderate vandal who has for the third or fourth time knocked down the anti-parking post.  Far be it from me to cast aspersions but photographs have been taken and sent to the authorities showing a car which has been parked near, and yesterday parked over the post – or the remains of it. 

The person (do you get a sense that I know exactly who did it) who has knocked down the post it of course a thief as destroying public property without admitting it is tantamount to theft.  I do hope the police call!  And we will be able to watch!

 There is nothing like an early morning rant!  It clears the system and allows one to enjoy the rest of the day!

Which is beautifully sunny yet again and this unreal weather continues.  Many of my British (!) colleagues are, inexplicably, looking forward to more autumnal weather while I revel in each shining day, even if I am stuck inside a school looking out at what I should be feeling on my skin.  I am convinced that my vitamin D levels are dangerously low and I need to get up to the Third Floor and do what I do best, soak up the rays!

Which was wonderful; simply lying there and feeling the sun (lately seen only from the wrong side of a classroom window) on my skin.  In was only when there was a whisper of sun that one could even guess that this is getting on for the middle of October rather than the height of summer!  The Puritan part of me knows that there will be price to be paid for such extended sunshine!

Now, as part of the reality of a “holiday” we are going out to lunch.  It will also give me the opportunity to check up on one of my “investments” the money which has been put into La Caixa as a way of beating the pathetic interest rates that one can get with the banks deposit accounts.  The complex returns include occasional interest payments and the conversion of 50% of the money into shares.  All I can say is that it seemed like a sensible idea at the time and now I have to live with the reality!  I ought to do at least some checking up!

My other investment is with the Generalitat of Catalonia (such patriotism!) and I made it on the assumption that the Generalitat would not be able to pay me back when the time of reckoning came.  My plan, such at it was, was to benefit to an extra period of bribery from the Generalitat to persuade me to keep the money in the funds and out of my sticky, spendthrift fingers.  The latter part of the plan might work, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the Generalitat is, to all intents and purposes, bankrupt.  Greece seems to be all around us these days!

I don’t really know why I bother with money as such.  I have never had much luck with its accumulation – but on the other hand I have never really lacked it either.  Confusion, inactivity and general bumbling have seen me OK.  The only time that I took professional advice and invested in a sensible, rock solid fund I lost 40% of it.  Bumbling is better!

I am waiting for the Old Man – for such I must designate Toni as he shuffles his way around the house feeling out each step – to get ready.  I could have done some ironing in the time that I have been waiting for him.  Or not.

I am a firm believer in the “iron free” nature of some shirts, in spite of the obvious creased that they all develop no matter if you drip dry or tumble dry them.  If life is too short to stuff a mushroom then how much further down the scale is ironing!

Lunch was acceptable in El Restaurante de los Jubilados or the place where all the OAPs hang out.  Follow the grey hairs and you get value for money!  My appetite has all but returned but I had to make do with fizzy water rather than the bottle of Lambrusco (!) which is available for two diners during days of fiesta – when incidentally the price of the meal rises by some 33%!

The day is still not over and I have already spent a couple of hours on the beach and thrown myself into the sea.  Considering the date the water was surprisingly not freezing.  I am not going to lie and affirm that the water was actually warm, but it was pleasant enough.  As opposed to the pool into which I threw myself on the return from the beach.

Although I was actually able to breathe (just) while swimming, the pool did not invite me to stay and after a number of cool regulation lengths I emerged into the apparent heat of an October evening.

I am about to go into the real heat of a shower – further displacement activity rather than do any ironing.  And marking is simply a non-starter.

I now have to get into my mind that tomorrow is a Thursday, as a day off mid-week is somewhat unsettling.  


Though always welcome.  


Obviously!