Well, the sticky hearts were a success. So were the gifts. And dinner.
When I got home after work, Mónica arrived at exactly the same moment as I did. So she hadn't seen the hearts yet. She had been spending the afternoon with her parents and grandparents.
I tried to act naturally and let her open the door to the apartment. I could see that she knew that something was going to happen. She was stunned when she saw the decoration and read what I had written.
Afterwards, I got her my gifts that I had been storing in the attic. I gave her a watch, a gift voucher from her favourite shop and an aromatic gift set with bath oil, bath salt, lotion and perfume.
Later, I took her to dinner at Delabra. The place was beautiful, the service was excellent, and the food was great. I should take my parents for dinner there when they come to visit me next week.
We had a wonderful evening.
Friday, September 30, 2005
Thursday, September 29, 2005
B-day
It's Mónica's birthday today.
I got up early this morning, right after she left for work, and started sticking 180-something post-its to the wall. The ones that come in the shape of a heart (You can click on the pic).
I had never seen those post-its before, but I spotted them in the supermarket the other day and thought it was a nice way to decorate the hallway for her birthday. I try to think of a different decoration for each occasion.
I hope they keep sticking until she gets home this afternoon. The ones on the doors seemed to let loose easily. And I didn't know that post-its don't stick on glass.
Although it seems like an easy job, I was sweating like a pig when I left for work 35 minutes late.
I would love to see her face when she walks in. She is probably expecting something though, because she knows I decorate the place every time.
Tonight we will be going to dinner at Ronaldo's fine restaurant. Yes, the famous soccer player opened an exclusive restaurant in Oviedo a while ago, and we will be checking the place out tonight. I'll let you know how it was.
I got up early this morning, right after she left for work, and started sticking 180-something post-its to the wall. The ones that come in the shape of a heart (You can click on the pic).
I had never seen those post-its before, but I spotted them in the supermarket the other day and thought it was a nice way to decorate the hallway for her birthday. I try to think of a different decoration for each occasion.
I hope they keep sticking until she gets home this afternoon. The ones on the doors seemed to let loose easily. And I didn't know that post-its don't stick on glass.
Although it seems like an easy job, I was sweating like a pig when I left for work 35 minutes late.
I would love to see her face when she walks in. She is probably expecting something though, because she knows I decorate the place every time.
Tonight we will be going to dinner at Ronaldo's fine restaurant. Yes, the famous soccer player opened an exclusive restaurant in Oviedo a while ago, and we will be checking the place out tonight. I'll let you know how it was.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
On a quest
Sometimes I depress myself.
Like I said, I am looking for a birthday present for Mónica. I went to the shopping mall yesterday after work, while she was taking driving classes. About 2 hours later, I drove home with one stupid little item she once dropped a hint about. But I cant possibly give her only that.
I am terrible at buying gifts. Indecisive. An eternal doubter.
So Ill be off again after work, to continue my quest.
On Saturday, we were invited for dinner at Mónica's aunt and uncle's place. We were both a little nervous, because I hadn't met them yet and Mónica hadn't seen them in years. But they turned out to be the nicest and sweetest people, and we had a great time. Her aunt kept saying what a great looking couple we were, and how beautiful our children are going to be. And we were both so surprised when they suddenly showed up with an early birthday cake for Mónica.
On Sunday afternoon we went to the movies, to see Wes Craven's new thriller, red eye. Afterwards, we drove to Mónica's parents, to watch Fernando Alonso become the new F1 world champion together. The streets in Oviedo, hometown of Alonso, were filled with people celebrating.
Like I said, I am looking for a birthday present for Mónica. I went to the shopping mall yesterday after work, while she was taking driving classes. About 2 hours later, I drove home with one stupid little item she once dropped a hint about. But I cant possibly give her only that.
I am terrible at buying gifts. Indecisive. An eternal doubter.
So Ill be off again after work, to continue my quest.
On Saturday, we were invited for dinner at Mónica's aunt and uncle's place. We were both a little nervous, because I hadn't met them yet and Mónica hadn't seen them in years. But they turned out to be the nicest and sweetest people, and we had a great time. Her aunt kept saying what a great looking couple we were, and how beautiful our children are going to be. And we were both so surprised when they suddenly showed up with an early birthday cake for Mónica.
On Sunday afternoon we went to the movies, to see Wes Craven's new thriller, red eye. Afterwards, we drove to Mónica's parents, to watch Fernando Alonso become the new F1 world champion together. The streets in Oviedo, hometown of Alonso, were filled with people celebrating.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Just fooling around
Why isn't it possible to create categories in Blogger?
A few colleagues at work had been creating a blog on myblogsite. So I decided to try it out as well and created another blog for my colleagues to read, posting funny links I come across surfing the web. It's nice to be able to create categories for these kind of posts.
But the bloghost has been giving us nothing but trouble from the start. Now I appreciate Blogger even more. If they could only introduce categories soon. Please?
Oh, here's a google link to that other blog of mine. I won't post a direct link, because I know some colleagues are checking out my stats and I don't want them to find this site again.
And in the meantime, I'm trying to figure out what to buy for Mónica's birthday next week. Suggestions are always welcome. I should think about some decoration for the apartment too.
I will have more time to do some secret shopping, because she is taking driving lessons during the evenings now.
She already has her licence, but she hasn't driven a car in 9 years. So she is taking some classes again, in case a job offer would come up and she would need to drive again.
So, how about some ideas?
A few colleagues at work had been creating a blog on myblogsite. So I decided to try it out as well and created another blog for my colleagues to read, posting funny links I come across surfing the web. It's nice to be able to create categories for these kind of posts.
But the bloghost has been giving us nothing but trouble from the start. Now I appreciate Blogger even more. If they could only introduce categories soon. Please?
Oh, here's a google link to that other blog of mine. I won't post a direct link, because I know some colleagues are checking out my stats and I don't want them to find this site again.
And in the meantime, I'm trying to figure out what to buy for Mónica's birthday next week. Suggestions are always welcome. I should think about some decoration for the apartment too.
I will have more time to do some secret shopping, because she is taking driving lessons during the evenings now.
She already has her licence, but she hasn't driven a car in 9 years. So she is taking some classes again, in case a job offer would come up and she would need to drive again.
So, how about some ideas?
Thursday, September 15, 2005
The lakes of Covadonga
All spanish cities and villages have their own local holidays. Yesterday was a local holiday of the village that the company that I work for belongs to, so we had a day off.
The good thing about these local holidays is that one can calmly visit the beautiful places that are normally filled with hoards of loud tourists. That's why I decided to drive to Covadonga to visit the famous mountain lakes which I - shame on me - still hadn't seen yet.
All summer it had been forbidden to drive up to the lakes by car to avoid chaos on the small, winding roads.
People had been obliged to leave the car in the village and pay 6 euros for a terrifying bus trip. But that summer arrangement ended this week, so I was lucky and could do the 1200 meter climb by car.
Goats, sheep, horses and cows walk around freely in this natural paradise. It was amusing to have to stop for some crossing horses and cows on the way up.
The lakes have something magical. It feels like you have ended up in a different, peaceful world, and would expect some fairies to show up every moment.
It's a must see for every tourist visiting Asturias.
Click on the picture to see more.
The good thing about these local holidays is that one can calmly visit the beautiful places that are normally filled with hoards of loud tourists. That's why I decided to drive to Covadonga to visit the famous mountain lakes which I - shame on me - still hadn't seen yet.
All summer it had been forbidden to drive up to the lakes by car to avoid chaos on the small, winding roads.
People had been obliged to leave the car in the village and pay 6 euros for a terrifying bus trip. But that summer arrangement ended this week, so I was lucky and could do the 1200 meter climb by car.
Goats, sheep, horses and cows walk around freely in this natural paradise. It was amusing to have to stop for some crossing horses and cows on the way up.
The lakes have something magical. It feels like you have ended up in a different, peaceful world, and would expect some fairies to show up every moment.
It's a must see for every tourist visiting Asturias.
Click on the picture to see more.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
The white lilacs
My grandmother used to sing a song called 'Quand refleuriront les lilas blancs' (When will the white lilacs bloom again, 1929) to my mother when she was a little girl.
When I was a kid, my mother used to sing that song when the white lilacs in the garden started blooming in the springtime.
Thanks to some hilarious recordings by me and my sister of my mother singing this song, we never forgot about it.
And now, even my 2 year old niece starts asking her grandmother (my mother) to sing that song of the 'lilas blancs' again for her.
Unfortunately, my mother didn't remember the words of the song. And the rest of the family has never heard the original song.
But thanks to the internet and certain P2P programs, I managed to find it and I sent it to my father.
He sent me a mail saying: 'Thanks for the song! Your mother is feeling 50 years younger today.'
For all of you: Quand refleuriront les lilas blancs
When I was a kid, my mother used to sing that song when the white lilacs in the garden started blooming in the springtime.
Thanks to some hilarious recordings by me and my sister of my mother singing this song, we never forgot about it.
And now, even my 2 year old niece starts asking her grandmother (my mother) to sing that song of the 'lilas blancs' again for her.
Unfortunately, my mother didn't remember the words of the song. And the rest of the family has never heard the original song.
But thanks to the internet and certain P2P programs, I managed to find it and I sent it to my father.
He sent me a mail saying: 'Thanks for the song! Your mother is feeling 50 years younger today.'
For all of you: Quand refleuriront les lilas blancs
Monday, September 12, 2005
Why men are happier than women
Our last name stays put.
The garage is all ours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
We can be President.
We can never be pregnant.
We can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
We can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell us the truth.
The world is our urinal.
We never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
We don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at our chest when we're talking to them.
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle our feet.
One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
We know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
We can open all our own jars.
We get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite us, he or she can still be our friend.
Our underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
We almost never have strap problems in public.
We are unable to see wrinkles in our clothes.
Everything on our face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
We only have to shave your face and neck.
We can play with toys all our life.
Our belly usually hides our big hips.
One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons.
We can wear shorts no matter how our legs look.
We can "do" our nails with a pocket knife.
We have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
We can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
go to main page
The garage is all ours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
We can be President.
We can never be pregnant.
We can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
We can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell us the truth.
The world is our urinal.
We never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
We don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at our chest when we're talking to them.
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle our feet.
One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
We know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
We can open all our own jars.
We get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite us, he or she can still be our friend.
Our underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
We almost never have strap problems in public.
We are unable to see wrinkles in our clothes.
Everything on our face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
We only have to shave your face and neck.
We can play with toys all our life.
Our belly usually hides our big hips.
One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons.
We can wear shorts no matter how our legs look.
We can "do" our nails with a pocket knife.
We have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
We can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
go to main page
Friday, September 09, 2005
It feels like Monday
Yesterday was an Asturian holiday, so we were given a day off.
We had planned on going to a shopping mall in Santander, but in the end - we were already in the car, turning rounds at the roundabout - we changed our mind because we didn't feel like driving that far.
Instead, we ended up at the movies, watching 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'. We were both disappointed with the second half of the movie, that consisted of nothing else than unbelievable action scenes.
After the movie, we went for a walk at the newly build port in Aviles. This used to be a stinking river until a couple of years ago, but they managed to drain it and create an attractive pier where people come for a walk in the sun.
Today, it feels a little like Monday, but it is already Friday. It is also the start of the San Mateo celebrations in Oviedo, the last festivities of the summer.
If it doesn't start raining by the end of the day, we will go to Oviedo for the free concert of Bebe.
We had planned on going to a shopping mall in Santander, but in the end - we were already in the car, turning rounds at the roundabout - we changed our mind because we didn't feel like driving that far.
Instead, we ended up at the movies, watching 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'. We were both disappointed with the second half of the movie, that consisted of nothing else than unbelievable action scenes.
After the movie, we went for a walk at the newly build port in Aviles. This used to be a stinking river until a couple of years ago, but they managed to drain it and create an attractive pier where people come for a walk in the sun.
Today, it feels a little like Monday, but it is already Friday. It is also the start of the San Mateo celebrations in Oviedo, the last festivities of the summer.
If it doesn't start raining by the end of the day, we will go to Oviedo for the free concert of Bebe.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
The bull
See that animal on top of this page? The bull is some sort of international symbol for Spain, as a result of the numerous bullfights that are still being held in this country every year.
Just like the famous flamenco dance though, the bullfights are especially a southern Spanish custom. Here in the north, bullfights are held only a few times a year, on special festive occasions.
Osborne, A famous wine brand that has a bull as its logo, has been placing over 90 bulls like the one above on hillsides throughout Spain since the year 1956. If you have ever been to Spain, I'm sure you must have seen one. They are quite photogenic.
I was a little insecure to put the Osborne bull on top of my blog though, because the animal also has a very negative meaning here in Spain.
The bull, or the horned one (el cornudo), is also the symbol for a person who is being cheated on by his or her partner. To put the horns on your partner (ponerle los cuernos a alguien) means cheating on your partner.
But just to make sure that there are no misunderstandings: that is not the reason why that bull is up here.
For me, this animal has always been thé symbol of Spain.
Just like the famous flamenco dance though, the bullfights are especially a southern Spanish custom. Here in the north, bullfights are held only a few times a year, on special festive occasions.
Osborne, A famous wine brand that has a bull as its logo, has been placing over 90 bulls like the one above on hillsides throughout Spain since the year 1956. If you have ever been to Spain, I'm sure you must have seen one. They are quite photogenic.
I was a little insecure to put the Osborne bull on top of my blog though, because the animal also has a very negative meaning here in Spain.
The bull, or the horned one (el cornudo), is also the symbol for a person who is being cheated on by his or her partner. To put the horns on your partner (ponerle los cuernos a alguien) means cheating on your partner.
But just to make sure that there are no misunderstandings: that is not the reason why that bull is up here.
For me, this animal has always been thé symbol of Spain.
What really happened
As to why I changed the address of my blog:
The site had become so easy to find on Google, that I caught my colleagues at work reading my posts. Since most of the entries on my blog are rather personal and I didn't like the idea of them reading my online diary, I decided to close down the blog and consider my options. The most obvious thing I could do was move to a new address. And so I did.
I didn't register the new address on search engines or directories. This way they won't find this new blog as easy as the old one. This also means that I won't have as many visitors as I used to have. But I think that people finding my blog on strange Google searches are not easily becoming regular readers anyway.
As I was going to move the blog, I thought it was a good idea to change the layout as well. So I deleted my template and started working on a new one. I was a little afraid that I wasn't going to remember how to program in HTML (I hadn't done it in a long time), but it turned out pretty good. That's why I'm a little proud about this new layout: I created it without any help and with my own inspiration.
And I'm quite pleased with the result.
The site had become so easy to find on Google, that I caught my colleagues at work reading my posts. Since most of the entries on my blog are rather personal and I didn't like the idea of them reading my online diary, I decided to close down the blog and consider my options. The most obvious thing I could do was move to a new address. And so I did.
I didn't register the new address on search engines or directories. This way they won't find this new blog as easy as the old one. This also means that I won't have as many visitors as I used to have. But I think that people finding my blog on strange Google searches are not easily becoming regular readers anyway.
As I was going to move the blog, I thought it was a good idea to change the layout as well. So I deleted my template and started working on a new one. I was a little afraid that I wasn't going to remember how to program in HTML (I hadn't done it in a long time), but it turned out pretty good. That's why I'm a little proud about this new layout: I created it without any help and with my own inspiration.
And I'm quite pleased with the result.
Monday, September 05, 2005
A new address, a new design
Hi, apparently you have found your way to my new site address. Welcome.
How do you like my new blog layout? I'm still working on some changes though.
If you should encounter a problem with the new layout, please let me know.
It seems my links have accidentally been deleted, but they will be up again soon.
Please update your bookmarks and links to my site.
As of tomorrow, everything will be back to normal.
How do you like my new blog layout? I'm still working on some changes though.
If you should encounter a problem with the new layout, please let me know.
It seems my links have accidentally been deleted, but they will be up again soon.
Please update your bookmarks and links to my site.
As of tomorrow, everything will be back to normal.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Gameboy hunt
My nephew lost his gameboy in a store in Oviedo last friday. Unfortunately he noticed it when the store was already closed. He could see his gameboy lying on the store counter, and suggested we would throw in a window to get it.
On monday morning they had to leave early to get to Valladolid in time for their flight. They delayed their departure until the store would open at 10:30. But Spaniards are never rushed, so the store didn't open in time and they had to leave without the gameboy.
Today I drove to Oviedo on my lunch break to get it. I would send it to my nephew, but he told me he is afraid it would get lost in the mail. So I guess he will have to wait for his gameboy until my parents visit me in October.
Now I can be a Pokemon trainer for a month. I checked it out, but this must be the most annoying game ever made. I don't understand why kids are so obsessed with it.
Anyway. My parents are having a family barbecue this evening in Belgium. Everyone will be there, except me of course. I ordered my other sister to send me a mail tomorrow with all the complaints my oldest sister had about her trip here. I'm curious. We have been gossiping already. :-p
On monday morning they had to leave early to get to Valladolid in time for their flight. They delayed their departure until the store would open at 10:30. But Spaniards are never rushed, so the store didn't open in time and they had to leave without the gameboy.
Today I drove to Oviedo on my lunch break to get it. I would send it to my nephew, but he told me he is afraid it would get lost in the mail. So I guess he will have to wait for his gameboy until my parents visit me in October.
Now I can be a Pokemon trainer for a month. I checked it out, but this must be the most annoying game ever made. I don't understand why kids are so obsessed with it.
Anyway. My parents are having a family barbecue this evening in Belgium. Everyone will be there, except me of course. I ordered my other sister to send me a mail tomorrow with all the complaints my oldest sister had about her trip here. I'm curious. We have been gossiping already. :-p
Monday, August 29, 2005
Remember me?
It seems I have been neglecting my site again over the last 2 weeks.
Well, I have been on a trip, sick and very busy, in that order.
Do you remember that we were going on a weekend trip two weeks ago? Well, we spent 3 days in A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela and Caión, and had a great time and wonderful weather. A coruña is a beautiful city, but we had expected more of Santiago.
My A Coruña pictures can be seen here, the Santiago pics are here.
Two days after we got back, I got sick. A high fever, headaches and digestional problems made me lose 2 kilos/4.4 lbs in 4 days. I felt so miserable that I wasn't in the mood for writing a post.
And last week, my sister, her boyfriend and the two kids came to visit us in Spain. It was the first time they visited the area, so we showed them the cities Oviedo, Gijon and Aviles. We spent a lot of time shopping (my sister was ecstatic with the Spanish prices), and enjoyed the local tapas and sidra.
Today, they are heading back to Belgium, and I am back at work. Back to routine.
I read that 13% of the Spaniards long to return to work before their holiday is over. I'm definately not like that. But then again, I'm not a Spaniard.
Well, I have been on a trip, sick and very busy, in that order.
Do you remember that we were going on a weekend trip two weeks ago? Well, we spent 3 days in A Coruña, Santiago de Compostela and Caión, and had a great time and wonderful weather. A coruña is a beautiful city, but we had expected more of Santiago.
My A Coruña pictures can be seen here, the Santiago pics are here.
Two days after we got back, I got sick. A high fever, headaches and digestional problems made me lose 2 kilos/4.4 lbs in 4 days. I felt so miserable that I wasn't in the mood for writing a post.
And last week, my sister, her boyfriend and the two kids came to visit us in Spain. It was the first time they visited the area, so we showed them the cities Oviedo, Gijon and Aviles. We spent a lot of time shopping (my sister was ecstatic with the Spanish prices), and enjoyed the local tapas and sidra.
Today, they are heading back to Belgium, and I am back at work. Back to routine.
I read that 13% of the Spaniards long to return to work before their holiday is over. I'm definately not like that. But then again, I'm not a Spaniard.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Guardawhat???
Since we are going on a weekend trip to A Coruña and my car was in need of a revision, I decided to drive to the only Toyota dealer in Asturias, only to find out that it was closed.
No sign on the door, no message on the answering machine. They are probably taking a vacation, but to me it would only be normal that they would put a sign on the door to let clients know when they will be open again.
But since Toyotas never break down, they probably thought: Nobody is going to miss us.
So I went to a local 'Feu Vert' station. How strange that they are called Feu Vert here in Spain, by the way. Spanish people must have no idea what it means.
Anyway, they changed the oil and filter and threw in a free revision of 15 of the most important points of the car.
So now I know that I have to get the left 'guardapolvo palier' changed, but I haven't got a clue what it is! It seemed pretty complicated to explain.
Well, he is getting a little old, my four-wheeled friend. I have no problem admitting that I drive an almost twelve year old Toyota Corolla, although I do know people that wouldn't want to be seen in my car. But as long as he doesn't let me down, I'm not getting another one.
To me, a car is just a transport medium to get from point A to point B without any problems. And until now, my car has never let me down. Knock on wood.
No sign on the door, no message on the answering machine. They are probably taking a vacation, but to me it would only be normal that they would put a sign on the door to let clients know when they will be open again.
But since Toyotas never break down, they probably thought: Nobody is going to miss us.
So I went to a local 'Feu Vert' station. How strange that they are called Feu Vert here in Spain, by the way. Spanish people must have no idea what it means.
Anyway, they changed the oil and filter and threw in a free revision of 15 of the most important points of the car.
So now I know that I have to get the left 'guardapolvo palier' changed, but I haven't got a clue what it is! It seemed pretty complicated to explain.
Well, he is getting a little old, my four-wheeled friend. I have no problem admitting that I drive an almost twelve year old Toyota Corolla, although I do know people that wouldn't want to be seen in my car. But as long as he doesn't let me down, I'm not getting another one.
To me, a car is just a transport medium to get from point A to point B without any problems. And until now, my car has never let me down. Knock on wood.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Sign my guestmap
I just found this nice thingy on the internet. So go sign my guestmap!
Just click on where you live and leave a mark. Remember, you can zoom in and you can click on the markers.
Just click on where you live and leave a mark. Remember, you can zoom in and you can click on the markers.
Trying not to bend my arms
I've got sore arms. I can't even fully stretch or bend them.
Yesterday I was surprised that they didn't hurt much. But today it has gotten worse. You should see me try to have a drink or even brush my teeth without having to bend my arms. Nearly every basic action involves having to bend your arms! Now I realise that.
Wanna know what happened? Well, until monday evening I wasn't aware that there was a gym at the sports center next to our apartment building. I thought it was just a municipal swimming pool and athletics track. But then I heard about the gym, and I had to go and check it out immediately.
You see, I used to work out regularly when I was still living in Belgium. But since I moved to Spain, I haven't been very active at all, and I noticed recently that my body has started to change. So I decided that I have to do something about it. Luckily I have a mesomorphic body type and I grow muscle very fast.
So I started working out at the gym on monday evening, trying to keep in mind that I had to take it easy, being the first time and all. But apparently, I did overdo it just a little. Well, no pain, no gain!
So I'll just try to avoid any movements that involve bending arms for a while, and I think I'll be fine.
Yesterday I was surprised that they didn't hurt much. But today it has gotten worse. You should see me try to have a drink or even brush my teeth without having to bend my arms. Nearly every basic action involves having to bend your arms! Now I realise that.
Wanna know what happened? Well, until monday evening I wasn't aware that there was a gym at the sports center next to our apartment building. I thought it was just a municipal swimming pool and athletics track. But then I heard about the gym, and I had to go and check it out immediately.
You see, I used to work out regularly when I was still living in Belgium. But since I moved to Spain, I haven't been very active at all, and I noticed recently that my body has started to change. So I decided that I have to do something about it. Luckily I have a mesomorphic body type and I grow muscle very fast.
So I started working out at the gym on monday evening, trying to keep in mind that I had to take it easy, being the first time and all. But apparently, I did overdo it just a little. Well, no pain, no gain!
So I'll just try to avoid any movements that involve bending arms for a while, and I think I'll be fine.
Monday, August 08, 2005
The return
Well, I'm back at work. My holiday is over. For now.
Since next monday is a national holiday, we will be having a long weekend. So Mónica and I have decided that we will be spending the weekend in A Coruña, in the upper left corner of Spain. I already booked a romantic hotel in the area. Now let's hope the weather stays fine.
I opened my mailbox at work this morning, and it looks like very strange things have been happening while I was gone. Clients have been testing the wrong programs, and processes that never fail have been failing. So I can start figuring out what's been going on.
My bloglines notifier tells me that my favourite blogs did not take a break while I was gone. I still have a 1008 new blog entries to read. I'm afraid I'm going to have to skip a few.
And yesterday, 135 people visited my blog. And they all came looking for information about the same movie. I noticed the same effect when the movie was on Polish television a few months ago. So where was it on now?
Since next monday is a national holiday, we will be having a long weekend. So Mónica and I have decided that we will be spending the weekend in A Coruña, in the upper left corner of Spain. I already booked a romantic hotel in the area. Now let's hope the weather stays fine.
I opened my mailbox at work this morning, and it looks like very strange things have been happening while I was gone. Clients have been testing the wrong programs, and processes that never fail have been failing. So I can start figuring out what's been going on.
My bloglines notifier tells me that my favourite blogs did not take a break while I was gone. I still have a 1008 new blog entries to read. I'm afraid I'm going to have to skip a few.
And yesterday, 135 people visited my blog. And they all came looking for information about the same movie. I noticed the same effect when the movie was on Polish television a few months ago. So where was it on now?
Friday, August 05, 2005
Enjoying the last couple of days
It's incredible how fast time goes by when you are having some days off.
My week is almost over, but now that I'm writing this post I don't even remember what I have been doing the last couple of days.
Let's see.
On monday and tuesday I cleaned the apartment and the attic. It was necessary, and I thought: let's get that over with as fast as possible.
But by tuesday evening I started feeling depressed, because I had been working my butt off for 2 days, and it didn't really feel like I was having a holiday.
So I decided to get out of the house on wednesday. I had to go to Oviedo anyway for some paperwork, so I went for a walk there, visited the cathedral, looked for the hotel where my sister will be staying at the end of this month, got a haircut (it was necessary) and made some pictures.
After Mónica got home, we went for a walk at the beach and we checked out a beach we had never been to.
Yesterday morning, I went out to explore new places. I was always curious if it was possible to get up the high cliff at the end of Salinas' beach. So I decided to find out how to get there. And it was worth it. The view was spectacular from up above.
I drove on, and went for a breakfast at the airport. I love hanging around in airports, watching people take off for a vacation.
Afterwards I wanted to check out a beach I had heard of in Cudillero, but I couldn't seem to find it. So I drove to the coast and found a spectacular lookout point.
When I looked down from there, I spotted this great looking swimming pool at San Esteban and felt like going for a swim immediately.
So I drove home, waited for Mónica to come home from work, told her about the pool, and we went back to San Esteban for a swim.
We will probably be going back today.
My week is almost over, but now that I'm writing this post I don't even remember what I have been doing the last couple of days.
Let's see.
On monday and tuesday I cleaned the apartment and the attic. It was necessary, and I thought: let's get that over with as fast as possible.
But by tuesday evening I started feeling depressed, because I had been working my butt off for 2 days, and it didn't really feel like I was having a holiday.
So I decided to get out of the house on wednesday. I had to go to Oviedo anyway for some paperwork, so I went for a walk there, visited the cathedral, looked for the hotel where my sister will be staying at the end of this month, got a haircut (it was necessary) and made some pictures.
After Mónica got home, we went for a walk at the beach and we checked out a beach we had never been to.
Yesterday morning, I went out to explore new places. I was always curious if it was possible to get up the high cliff at the end of Salinas' beach. So I decided to find out how to get there. And it was worth it. The view was spectacular from up above.
I drove on, and went for a breakfast at the airport. I love hanging around in airports, watching people take off for a vacation.
Afterwards I wanted to check out a beach I had heard of in Cudillero, but I couldn't seem to find it. So I drove to the coast and found a spectacular lookout point.
When I looked down from there, I spotted this great looking swimming pool at San Esteban and felt like going for a swim immediately.
So I drove home, waited for Mónica to come home from work, told her about the pool, and we went back to San Esteban for a swim.
We will probably be going back today.
Friday, July 29, 2005
A holiday, at last
Two weeks since my last post. That must have been the longest absence since I started this blog.
What have I been up to? Nothing, really. I have been working mostly, counting the days until today. I have been a bit down lately, that's what more than 3 months of working without a single day off do to me.
I didn't feel like doing anything the last two weeks. So I didn't have anything to write about either. And I was a little bored of writing those posts about what we had been doing in the weekend. Not that we have been doing anything special in the last two weeks, anyway.
But today, in less than 2 hours, my holiday officially starts. It will be only for a week, but you can't imagine how much I need to get away from the routine for a little while.
As some of you already know, we can't go on a holiday this year because of Monica's work. But I'm still going to try to enjoy these couple of days off, even if I have a big list of things that have to be done. At least I'm going to have the time to do them. And maybe these days will give me some inspiration to write some nice posts again.
So I'm going to hurry to finish the work that I still have to do today, and then I'm out of here! I suggest you do the same.
What have I been up to? Nothing, really. I have been working mostly, counting the days until today. I have been a bit down lately, that's what more than 3 months of working without a single day off do to me.
I didn't feel like doing anything the last two weeks. So I didn't have anything to write about either. And I was a little bored of writing those posts about what we had been doing in the weekend. Not that we have been doing anything special in the last two weeks, anyway.
But today, in less than 2 hours, my holiday officially starts. It will be only for a week, but you can't imagine how much I need to get away from the routine for a little while.
As some of you already know, we can't go on a holiday this year because of Monica's work. But I'm still going to try to enjoy these couple of days off, even if I have a big list of things that have to be done. At least I'm going to have the time to do them. And maybe these days will give me some inspiration to write some nice posts again.
So I'm going to hurry to finish the work that I still have to do today, and then I'm out of here! I suggest you do the same.
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