Doing the impossible...

This weekend I agreed and not even reluctantly to go hiking in the great outdoors with Mele, Nico, Fredu and Ollie (who was here for a visit). One of the many great things about this sea-side city is that beyond the beaches the mountains are right on our doorsteps as well. Okay well maybe foot hills as the mountains are about an hour or so away, but still... terrain exists that does not yet have concrete and SUV's.

A quick 15 min train ride and we were right in the thick of nature. Miss Lilli (aka mountain dog) joined us and miraculously managed to hike the 6k or so that we managed to cover (up hill and down valley). She did more than any of us as she kept running from the front of the group to the back to assure that we were all sticking together.

We made it back to the city lights just before we lost day light which was a bit of a worry for a while as the map we had was not as helpful as it should have been... however we made it even if we did have to scale down a rocky mountain side to get us where we needed to be... I had lots of help of course to make sure ze bump was not compromised. Not bad for 30 weeks pregnant! Don't get me wrong, the star of the day was Lilli. Who would have thought she would have had such stamina???? Oh and kudos of course to Nico, Mele and Ollie for being in charge of the navigation.


Ollie and Fredu enjoying the sunshine and a spot of lunch before we set out onto the trail.


Someone was ready for action... or was the the cava they had with lunch that was fueling it?


Fashion was put aside for warmpth... but hey a gal has to be practical sometimes!


Mele on the other hand looked fab and very glam as usual!


The valley that we hiked through

The valley that we hiked up! Lilli agreed to be picked up so that she could be in this shot... Light was slipping away quickly at this point....


We reached the top of a clearing and found this most lovely view of Barcelona down below. we were south east so you can't quite see the sea in this shot... but you could see it when you were there in person. From here we scaled down so we could make it out before the sun set... talk about high up!!!!!!!!!!


The tired troops retired to a local cafe to celebrate with a drink... and for some exhausted dogs a nap and for some people in 'estado' we had suisso (KJ it's your favorite thick hot chocolate treat)

Needless to say some parts of my we leggies are still feeling the aftermath... It was kind of funny today when the nurse at my monthly check up was asking if I was exercising... I was like... hmmm, yup!

With this said I'm now up another 3kilos which is the most I've gained so far... so in total I am at 7 kilos... best start being careful as I hear this is when the weight really piles on...

There is nothing in the world

Like the feeling of finding 20Euros or dollars or quid or whatever your local currency may be, in your coat pocket... you can't quite figure out how on earth you would have left it there.

Well today was like that but better... way better. Today I found out that my second invoice here at porn towers was not yet paid... meaning, I've not been so careless as I thought I had been with my mission to save to support things when ze bubby arrives and I'm not working! Happy days indeed.

Note to self: this does not mean that you can go mad buying fancy pressies for yourself... Save Sarah save!

More than anything

I'm angry... really really angry...Before I go into the story let me just confirm that I am fine... the bump is fine... there is no panic needed.

So last night I was walking home from work... the same route as always... only thing different was that I was 30mins later than normal. It was freezing and the icy wind was not at all pleasant. I turned off via Laietana and towards Santa Caterina market... when i turned right to walk along side of the market I got the feeling that there was someone following me. I had my headphones on... The street is a wide street, well lit and there were at least 30 people around as lots of people were doing their grocery shopping before going home. I crossed the street to avoid the person whom I felt was following behind me too closely... not thinking much more other than that I was paranoid... and that at this time of night with all these people around there really is no need for alarm. At the moment I crossed to the other side of the road I rang Fredu to see where he was as we had previously planned. I spoke to him briefly using hands free as I had my headphones on... and agreed to meet him shortly. As soon as I hung up the phone the person who was following me turned out to still be following me and at that moment lunged at me from behind and grabbed my ass with both his hands and thrust his body up against my back. Needless to say I let out the loudest blood curdling scream. I whipped around to see who the culprit was... and my jaw dropped when I saw that it was as I feared... a complete stranger. He said nothing to me... I was waiting for him to come up with something like I'm so so sorry I thought you were someone else... but nothing... only a cheeky self righteous grin spread across his face. He started walking backwards while still leering at me. I looked around frantically for help from any of the people around me.... all I got was a round of chuckles from the bunch of guys who were standing outside a bar on the other side of the street. I then turned back to the culprit who was still walking backwards away from me and mustered a measly 'cabron' (bastard) to which he then responded with a barrage of 'puta etc' and how i was a dirty whore blah blah blah. And still, no one stepped in to help. Not a single soul. I was so shocked I just shook my head and made a hasty retreat home. Luckily I live only a few blocks away and I was greeted at the front door by Fredu and Dani. I told them what happened and of course immediately Fredu wanted to march right back there to try and find the guy... I was having none of it. I wasn't too keen to drag on the incident any further.... All I can say is what in the hell is wrong with this world when a clearly visibly pregnant woman gets jumped on in the street and no one... not a single witness came to my aid?

I'm more angry than anything... I'm angry that that asshole is out assaulting women and no one seems to care... I'm angry that even if i report it and they catch him, they would probably just let him off with a warning... I'm angry that it makes me feel unsafe in my own neighborhood. I'm angry at myself for not doing more when it happened like grab the security guard from the grocery store and get him to help me or simply kick him hard in the crotch... all of this just plays over and over again in my head. Needless to say I did not sleep last night. Half of me wants to go and fill in a police report but the other half of me just knows it's pointless... Fredu is playing Magnum PI and has got the security people at the market to agree to show him the tape from last night to see if we can see the guys face... but the odds are slim as it was night and lets face it... the only thing remarkable about the guy was the ugly brown jumper he was wearing...

sigh....

This is all too remenicent of the sort of problems I used to have all the time when I lived in Lyon when I was 21... guys would constantly grab and grope you in the street... for no other apparent reason than that they simply could if they wanted to...

Never a dull moment I tell you...

I'm bored already...

Of looking at the figs... not that I have anything to replace them with but still, it had to be said.

The post office is the new black. I was there this morning to re-collect the package that joey sent me from London. The coat I sent her that she was looking for... ended up not fitting so it made the journey back. The doggie winter warmer goodies we received yesterday which were way too large are too going back today to jet back to malaga where they came from... Just why there is a doggie clothing store in malaga that sells warm things is beyond me... but hey... then as if from nowhere kim's popcorn goodie package that she sent oh so many moons ago finally arrived too. I guess they delivered it when Fredu was out at the bank... we will have to wait to collect it tomorrow once they drop it back to the main post office.

KJ and Bryan are in The final weeks of their gestation... I think she is definitely ready to meet the little one. I'm dying with curiosity as to what it will be. All bets are on it being a boy but how can you know. We shall wait and see.

Week 30 for us this week... my flying wings are soon to be clipped...not that I'm planning on going anywhere... train it will have to be if I do...

Life is full of new experiences

A few months back... approximately 7... before this whole baby thing and puppy thing entered my life... I found myself gallivanting around the city with the lovely Ollie... He bought me a fig from the market near my house. Something which I had never tried before (outside it's dried form)... Considering how I am with food and with fruit in specific it was a great achievement for me! Man was it yummy! Have I had one since? erm... no...

Figs people! figs!

Today as part of 'Life is full of new experiences' and Ana's relentless quest to give my unborn child a hint of nutrition... she brought me in a 'caqui fruit'. I had NO idea that they even existed... they look kind of like a tomato that got mixed up with a bag of oranges from the wrong side of town... I ate it with a spoon and scooped out the yummy insides... and I must say... YUM! No seeds or other fussy things that make fruit so undesirable for me. But of course we've got to do something about the name of the thing I mean you just can't have a fruit named after what most american men deem as standard office casual attire (kakis)... thus when thanking Ana for the fruit I referred to it as ' American men's trouser fruit ' she suggested that instead it would be better to call it 'Gap fruit' I couldn't agree more. So Gap fruit it is! Go out and try one today!

Don't mess with them... they're danger just like the gap!

The things they don't tell you

You know when you're small and you dream about being a grown up so you can eat a box of after eight's in one sitting if you fancy? Only to then grow older and find out that if you did indeed do that you would feel disgusting? Or what about when you first graduate from Uni and you feel so proud only a few months later you find that you can't actually get an entry level job as you're suddenly over qualified or in other cases underqualified... and you just don't understand why no one ever talks about this pergatory phase that happens after uni and before you find your first job???

Well I've been discovering there are a few home truths regarding gestation that somehow I've just not heard of before... the most relevant to me right now would be the uncomfort that one endures when you can feel the skin across your belly being stretched like a piece of leather over a basket ball... and how it HURTS!!!! So why is it that no one happened to mention this before??? Or was it simply that I wasn't listening... don't even start with stories about delivering the placenta or nipple pads for breast feeding... I'm not ready for that. Ewwwwwwwwwwwww.

Ah yes, and a lovely happy birthday to my beatiful mother who is 57 years young today!

As per the singular request

from my sister... here is a pic taken by...we yea you can see it's by me... with my phone cam... of ze bump...



And then a more artistic one taken by the professional...


It's as close to nude as I get on my blog folks... stretch marks and all!

And just to cleanse the sight of all that pale flesh and offending stretch marks... here is a beauty of miss lilli in her favorite sun spot... chewing on a pen of course!

I hope everyone had a happy Hallowe'en!

There were a splattering of costumed peeps here in bcn town... and I managed to ring my mum late enough for her to describe to me the outfits that the little trick o' treater's arriving at her house were dressed as. So sweet! We will have to bring the bump to Canadialand one year to let her experience the thrill of the tradition. Mum says she's still kept the groovy trick 'o treating bags she sewed for us all those years ago. They are shaped like pumpkins but made out of a printed orange fabric.

No sweeties for me today... just yummy almax antacid which is helping keep the relentless heartburn at bay... who knew that simply drinking water could give you heart burn?

While walking to work this morning I was accosted by this mad Peruvian guy who had clearly not yet been home yet from his festivities the night before... I tried my best to politely ignore him but eventually ended up agreeing to chat with him as I made my way into the office. It was quite comical as I politely rejected his advances... and at one point did point out to him that i was nearly 7 month pregnant... and clearly spoken for. He was thrilled by this and aided by I'm not quite sure what drugs or residual alcohol... then he begged me to show him my eyes which were safely tucked behind my shades... too funny. However to be fair he was nothing but a gentleman albeit a tad over-friendly but indeed harmless. He walked with me all the way until my office reception... thank goodness he did not insist on following me in... as there is no one else working here today as it's officially a day off but we've collectedly decided to transfer the day off to tomorrow... only because of course the boss did not want to participate in the 'puente' which is Spanish for the word 'bridge' which usually means that when you have a holiday on a Thursday you get the Friday off too... no worries we're content with the long weekend.

Something I thought that I would never live to see has just graced my inbox...


yes you are seeing correctly... my mother on a motorbike! Did I mention she´s 57 in about one week? I hope I have here genes!

She looks so cute! It belongs to my not-so-little 20 year old cousin... If only my father were still around to see this!

Clearly summer was still kicking about in Canadialand last weekend as she is kitted out in proper summer gear!



Here is another great pic of seestor and mum outside her house. You wouldn´t really guess that seestor is about to pop out her own wee one in just a matter of 4 weeks! Impressive work sis!

Just when I thought it couldn't get more embarrassing.

Last night I was in Zara returning a pair of trousers that I attempted to by from their pre-mama section... the L were enormous and the M's were teenie... but that's another story entirely too boring to recount. However while there we ran into our lovely upstairs neighbor. He lives in the tiny attico flat above us. He is a very kind soul and has never complained about anything like noise or the barking of a certain dog... Anyway, so he came over to us to say hello as his 'friend' bless, waited on the stairs on the way up to the men's dept. The neighbor asked if I had fallen the other morning as he said his whole apt shook! I mean like dear lord Im not that heavy! I think my face was scarlet red! He was very worried he said but then he knew Alfredo was home to help me. I think it´s terribly sweet that he was worried but I´m horrified that he knew exactly what had happened!!! I mean what else can he hear!?? On a positive note it´s very comforting to know he´s just a yelp away if I´m on my own and need someone!

We´re at 27 weeks as of yesterday... boy how time flies... I think I officially have a belly now... and for the first time ever actually fit into my favorite pair of trousers which I bought years back at Sefton in Islington... they were huge but I loved them so much I bought them anyway and they were only 30quid whereas the original price was like 250!!! Who knew that I would one day find a proper use for them!

slippery when wet!

well there are a few moments in life when you feel truly humble... unfortunately they are few and far between. This morning however did provide me with one of such moments... I was in the shower all soaped up and when I peeked out from behind the shower curtain to see where miss Lilli had gotten to... I could spy her sitting on a pillow in the dressing room chomping away on one of my hard pastels that I use for painting. I don't know how she got it... but I can't blame her really as it looked suspiciously like one of her doggie treats. I lept out of the shower with conditioner in one hand and a body full of soap. I extracted the masticated pastel and placed what remained out of reach. As I stepped back into the bathroom I slipped and crashed to the floor landing with all my weight on my left elbow. I scared the living daylights out of myself... envisioning early labor... a broken elbow... Alfredo bounded in to find me sprawled across the bathroom floor. And that's when you have it... I've never felt so humble or as vulnerable as I did at that exact moment. It was so embarrassing. There is just nothing flattering about being gathered up from that splattered position. By this time of course the poor dog was barking like mad as she was terrified at seeing what had just happened. I was of course blubbering with tears which did nothing to enhance the already unforgiving scene... I gave myself a really good fright! Poor Fredu was equally terrified... well I guess it's one way to get the adrenalin going first thing in the morning. Luckily I have no appeared to have broken anything... I'm just bruised and sore both physically and egotistically.

I'm not quite sure

If I've actually managed to constructively write about this before... but this has been a really strange time for me... these last few months that is. It's kind of hard to articulate without sounding like some sort of crazed hormal woman... but it could very must be just that. The skinny is that I can't help but feel like I'm a bit underwhelmed regarding being pregnant. I really feel like I'm missing a beat. I mean it's lovely and wonderful and I know I'm very very lucky to have this chance that so many people are not able to have but I feel somehow I'm not doing it justice... Maybe because I've not got the same group of close female friends I had back in London or Ottawa or anywhere else I've lived during my adult life to encourage me and get excited with... I'm not having baby showers and waxing lyrical about how wonderful it will be... To be honest I think it's going to be really really hard and I'm very realistic about that. Perhaps it's this realism that keeps my excitement level to a dull fuzz if that. It's almost like this whole thing is happening to someone else and I'm just observing the process from the other side of a transparent screen... so I'm actually there but somewhat removed. I joked about being in denial for many months but now it just seems silly, surely this should have all passed by now and I should now be on to being constructive and buying baby things and not stomping my feet at my ever dwindling clothing selection... but yet still refusing to buy maternity clothes... I think it's entirely possible that I am being the bigger baby. Or it could just be the hormones...

here's to hoping this will all get sorted out before the end of January when ze bubby arrives... until then, back to the mad world of porn and the ever interesting adventure of the Polish builders that are arriving tonight from Denmark to kit out our new upstairs office space. Never a dull moment!

Someone is sporting daddy's new jumper

It's a slow news day here

in sunny Barcelona. The good news is that the gestational diabetes test came back negative which is such a relief! However I did get a proper telling-off from the nurse for being veggie. She acutally asked what I eat if I don't eat meat? My iron isn't low now but they are trying to prevent it from becoming very serious in the next few months... it's all a big yawn if you ask me... They gave me iron pills to take with orange juice - my favorite... NOT-. Ah well it's for the baby. Bring on the tofu!

Friday is a most welcome thing this week for me as I am exhausted and feeling guilty for not working harder... swimming and resting will be taken care of this weekend.

Here is a darling pic of miss lilli at Eric's b'day bbq a few weeks ago!

Just one of the reasons why I love my mum!

She wrote me an email today and here is a little excerpt

'I am cooking a huge roast of beef in the slow cooker for dinner this evening - you would be revolted by the size of it but there are no eyes or feet visible so it is okay with me.'

She is too cute for words! And I wonder why I'm veggie?

When I was little... or not even that little... I remember straining out the ground beef from my lasagna... painfully separating the beef from the sauce... little did I know at that point that there was an alternative... Smart of my mum for not offering it to me at that point.

My sprog on the other hand, will have her own choice in the matter... she can eat nothing but carbs and 'comida de basura' or she can eat normal carnivorous fayre with her father... But don't you doubt I'll be passing on the straining the beef from the tomato sauce technique that I mastered. It's only fair!

Happy almost Hallowe'en!

Lilli is sporting her fashionable dog jumper sent over to her by her favorite Canadian doggie friend Elmo.

To be honest I think she is more interested in eating the orange fluff around the sleeves rather than wearing it but we convinced her that she would get more blog exposure if she agreed to put it on!



Thank you auntie Lisa and Elmo!!!!

xoxoxo Lilli

there are some things

that are so enigmatic that even when coupled with a rock steady beat the song is still pure class. Wicked game by Chris Issak is one of them. We're all grooving out to it in the studio here this afternoon. We all agree that you can't hear the song without enjoying a beautiful memory of that video that they made for it. Ahh Helena Christensen's eyes were just haunting!



Reminds me once how when I was working down in South Ken we saw her walk by the building that we worked in... She was decidedly orange but her eyes still beautiful. The hands of time didn't seem to be very kind to her... but I've seen print pictures of her since that are much more flattering than her in person... Perhaps photoshop is her best friend?

She came... we shopped... we conquered!

It's not going to go without mention miss andrea's visit to Barcelona last week. We were so happy to have her here!

We shopped and lunched and giggled! All the good stuff!


Andrea blingged up her new flip flops at the havaiana shop with pink sparkles!


She's really just pointing out my enormous bosom!
No I think it's more like pointing out that I'm NOT for once, wearning all black!


This photo brings new meaning to head-shot! Miss andrea and Fredu
They look like long lost cousins!


Moi, Anna, Andrea outside Passpartout her fellow Croatian's new bar in the neighborhood!


See aren't we purdy!


And of course Miss And Miss Lilli who was our faithful shopping companion!

In an attempt to battle the evil powers of porn



Ana has kindly brought me in a Jesus mouse pad featuring a blinged up Jesus. He's got a golden chain with a crucifix and a gold ring on each finger... If I didn't know better I would think that he was throwing up a gang sign too... not certain on that one. I'm feeling much more comforted for my un-born child... LOL... but to be honest I don't actually see much porn as I'm doing project management so it's all about documentation, site maps budgets and gant charts... Ana the content manager only ever calls me over to see the really cringe-worthy stuff. Picture of Jesus will soon be uploaded.

Speaking of looking at porn... yesterday Ana sent me a link to a production company's website, a friend of her's whom I've never met but did however know her ex boyfriend through my hairdresser ... trust me this is a small town. Any how on this website features a video of the production team fooling around in a playful way not in the actual sexual way on the set of one of the movies they were shooting in Bulgaria or somewhere where shooting porn is not shunned... and low and behold there in the clip is no other than a photographer friend of Fredu's who lives in our neighborhood! Fredu did not believe me until he saw the clip with his own eyes! A warning to all... NEVER think even for a second that these types of things don't get around...

There is yet again another holiday here tomorrow so it's a nice long weekend for us all! Not so good for us parties who work freelance and simply do not get paid for these holidays but hey a day off is a day off.

After this morning's fight with my ever dwindling wardrobe possibilities I've conceded to go and LOOK at the maternity clothing options at H+M near my office... Not bad really as I've made it to 6 months without participating in such activities... but when the baggy jeans start causing problems getting around the bump it's time to throw in the towel and break out all elasticated options. Can I still wear my heels?

Dear whomever invented the gestational diabetes test…

I don’t like you very much. In fact the entire experience was most unpleasant. Sucking back the equivalent of 5 bags of haribo first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is vile. I still feel ill. Perhaps the whole experience will help curb my sweet tooth a little bit…

Miss Andrea has come and gone and her visit was nothing short of delightful. She is so lovely to have around! I only wish we could see each other more often. She should soon be boarding her flight and jetting back to London to her boyfriend whom by now must miss her greatly.

Eric’s b’day bbq in Sitges on Saturday was lovely. The weather held up and it was sunny and warm. Much fun was had by all. Fredu took some lovely photos… I shall sneak them up here shortly.

It's all much clearer to me now...

we've not got a dog... it's a kangaroo!!!!!!!!!! I don't quite know why it took us so long to figure out... joey did buy her back legs for us, so it's quite logical really!


Miss Lilli 'roo' Martini


If you're looking for something on sale do not go to PC world here in Barcelona... They like to make their customers pay 20 euros extra! Check the price listed in small print at the bottom right... it says previous price 199€ and the current price is 219€!???? and they have the audacity to tell you that you save 20€! Theives!




This is the view from our new office! if you look carefully you can see the sea! The big church is the same one that is right in front of our flat.


Someone had a bath the other day and then was so exhausted they decided to have a nap in their towel...

Sometimes pictures say it better


Daddy has a new camera and I'm pretty! Now where is my blog deal auntie Andrea??


HAPPY BIRTHDAY FREDU!! it's the big 40 today! I can't wait till he's back from work this weekend to celebrate!


Office jobs are simply just not suited for some people... Lilli came with me to work today to attempt to try and curb her rampant barking habit which she has just acquired... I can only liken it to what it must be to have a todler going through the terrible two's... we are so wiped out that we have been unconcious since we got home... needless to say she's not barking but I don't think the problem is fixed... just pooped out.


Hello I'm Anna! My colleague at work was being cheeky and leaving a wee pic for me on my new phone... wait till she realises that it's now on my blog! Ha! that will teach her... or most likely simply encourage her to be even more naughty the next time.




Parents to be at the Patrice, 08001, Travis concert that nearly induced my early labour.... Some of us have spent their summers working in the great outdoors... some of us look like we've been tanning in scotland...


Patrice, whom I'd never heard of before but were really really good!

And for your daily dose of just what it's like to work for a porn site... do check out this site... it a lovely lady will moan your computer's IP address for you. Hilarious but in most cases... not work safe. We never grow tired of this one at work!

Note to self

Going to an outdoor concert, and standing in the 5th row from the stage for almost 5h is NOT, I repeat, NOT a suitable activity for a someone who is 5 months pregnant. The standing up for that long without even sitting once damn near finsihed me off. I had to leave about 3 songs before Travis wrapped up but they were great. 08001 was brilliant as usual but the heavy Catalan croud at the front didn't really get them... Patrice was great too! Good thing I had fun as the lesson has been learned and I must conceed defeat and admit that there are somethings that I simply am not able to do while pregnant.

The dog and I are mostly sleeping away this sunny monday in an attempt to recover... she wasn't there of course but it doesn't take much to convince her to sleep all day.

Small Miracles

Only of the telephonic kind... but hey we take them where we can get them when it comes to me and mobiles! The magic makers in Raval unlocked my orange uk phone so I can use it on Orange ES... don't get me started it defies logic how this had to be but hey... it's done and it's got such a great camera!



I think all these late nights of this year's Merce festival are taking their toll! I slept till almost 12h today. Staying out till 3am just doesn't agree with me as much as it used to. I am however excited to see Travis and 08001 this afternoon if we manage to get there before the place is filled!

Certain dogs are fast asleep on my lap recovering from their own Merce fun... hers maybe wasn't so fun as her mean mother made her spend the entire day with her out of the hosue... walking, meeting strange people and mostly foregoing her daily nap routine. She's more than making up for it today. Thank goodness we have a holiday on Monday! I think this is the third one this month!!!

Fredu is back on the mark and out taking pictures with his new camera. I's like seeing someone with a new lease on life. Not having a proper camera for so long really was hard for him. All good now and onwards and upwards as my mother would say.

Hello,

I'm the dog and I'm a girl too and I'm 5months old too but I'm here... and mostly very naughty! And my father is trying to look cuter than me!

The bump's first blog entry...

Hello, I'm the bump. I'm a girl!



I think she has my chin????

I'm growing a belly and this time it's not from beer...

As extracted from one of my status updates on crack book...

The 2nd scan was done today and all was good. And we are now the proud awaiting parents of a wee girl! We didn't want to wait till the birth to find out... and apparently these three vertical lines which appear on the scan prove that indeed it is a girl. I feel so relieved to know.

08001 and Travis are playing at the Merce festival this year!!!! This weekend will be good!

Roller coasters and olive stones... just another normal day


I think sometimes this whole oh my god am Ireally doing this anxiety hits and I wonder if I can possibly forget to breathe....

As I said to mum... having a baby is nothing big nor is it clever... with this in mind I'm trying to tone down the concept as much as possible but as I said, sometimes it boils up and I feel the same feeling that you have when you are strapped into a roller coaster and you push off and begin the acent to the top of the first hill... you can feel the anxiety mixed with the horror that you know that nothing you can do can get you off the ride... the first big drop kicks your adrenalin in and then your anxiety subsides as your mind quickly gives in as it accepts there is no turning back so best just hang on... I think my life is pretty much along these same tracks right now... the only thing is that the whole strapping ones self into the ride kind of sneaks up behind me and before I know it anxiety is already pushing me up the hill...

on a not so philosophical note I forced my office colleagues into sharing a decadent bar of dark chocolate with me this afternoon. It was fig and caramel filled. Totally divine.

I'm off to repent at the swimming pool as soon as I finish. I think making it there twice in one week kicks the ass of me not having gone once during the last four months... Swimming is so odd now. My belly feels like a big olive with a massive stone in the middle. Centre of gravity is all messed up.

Would someone kindly explain to me how a mobile on the orange network in the uk is not compatible with my orange sim card here in Spain? I think the mobile phone gods are simply out to torment me. I should know better... every September I enter the realm of phone nightmares... back to this again!!!! I have to get the bloody handset that I just bought and had shipped over from the UK unlocked to make it work here... you think that surely in this day in age the same company would make handsets that were compatible across their European network??? clearly not. Hello phone unlocking hell... sarah here!

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It's been a while since the last posting...

I know that as even fredu mentioned that I've not blogged in ages and he does not often read it...

To make up for this I sadly don't have any interesting photos... but stories yes. What would my life be like without some interesting... 'this would only ever happen to me' type of thing...

I've not yet spoken much about my new job... but now that it's been a few weeks I think I'm ready to have my 'hello world I work for a porn company' coming out announcement. So yes, it's true. and No I am not acting or participating in any movies or photos. I'm safely on the other side of the screen. I am actually surprise at how may people have asked me for that clarifation... anyway... so with that out of the way.... I'm doing project management for this Danish company. We're working on this big new project which requires a lot of scoping and documentation. As part of this project we've got two designers from out of town working on laying down the templates for the new site. When we got to the page that was to be a category home page it was late. I left them in the office and I went home. When I arrived in the morning the page mock up was done and guess what it featured...

A picture of a busty blond woman as the feature image. Followed by the following tags. Big busted, blond, pregnant, horny.

I am not quite sure how long my mouth remained open in shock... followed quickly by a fit of giggles. I hardly know these guys and they are totally taking the piss out of me!!! I love it!

I have of course told my mother this story. She found it rather humourous as well.

I would post a pic of the comp here but since the site is still under wraps it's not such a good idea.

The beast continues to grow at a rapid pace (the dog not the baby)... house training is a loosing battle at this point... so we will simply continue to watched the dubbed episodes of the dog whisperer and hope that he may one day feature a cheeky chihuahua who suffers from the same disobedience as our little furry princess. Good thing she's so cute. It saves her everytime!

Richard and Sal dropped into bcn for a few hours. They were passing through on their way back from Ibiza on their way to Poland... then back to London and finally back to Sydney. It will be strange not having them in London anymore but change is good. Yes joey... change is good!

More porn adventures to come soon...

So yea... as I said before

Karma is a bitch. And snicker I did at my sister's ginormous bosom when she was here over the summer. All a by product of the baby thing... but little did I know that now that I am at about the same phase of the pregnancy thing as she is, I too have been afflicted. Dear lord... not like I needed any help. I can know understand just how it's so that even nicole richie has boobage now. With that said you can imagine that volupous does not even do justice to my current state. If I were blonder and fabulously gorgeous I might accidently get taken for Scarlet Joanssen who is in town shooting with woody allen... well not the body part as I'm pregnant and she's not... but defo the boob dpt.

On another not so booby subject. Some of the more hairy members of my rapidly expanding family are doing their best to leave their mark on everything. Even down to the tiny plastic clip at the end of my memory stick. I can't even begin to think when she got her little fangs into that? Fredu has taken to referring to her as "todo los dientes"which translates to " all the teeth". Extracted from the expression "que miente con todos sus dientes!" which means you're lying with all your teeth. Hmm. Somethings just don't translate so well. I guess we do however say in English lie through your teeth.

Asleep while standing

I sort of feel that way... no no actually I do feel that way. I think it's the combo of travelling and this heat wave we are going through that is making me fight to the death to stay concious at my desk today.

My wee sejour in London was lovely. It was really great to see all the peeps again. Sad really that this is the last time for a long while that we will all be together again, but nice nonetheless. I'm not quite sure if it was because I was not partaking in the imbibing of alcohol or if the sands of time are pilling up... but it was quite a subduded event when compared to our standard gatherings. Guess we'll all be grown ups before you know it. I think I'm guilty of pushing the trend in that direction. Not that it's bad... it's just different!

I'm suffering from extreme puppy withdrawl. She's been with the breeder since last wednesday. He is due to bring her back to me tonight. My heart strings are being tugged. It's all a bit brutal really. I can imagine that she is huge now after hearing all the forbidden food that he's been feeding her. So much for keeping her on human food only!

18 weeks in and the bump seems to be now growing... the skinny jeans still fit which is a surprise... but perhaps by the end of the week this will no longer be the case. I'm just counting the days until the 19th when we have the scan that will reveal the gender. The doctor who listened to the heartbeat the other day was thinking it was a girl as the heart rate was quite quick... but that's just hearsay. We will find out for sure soon enough... everyone channel your energy for a girl. Not that we won't love a boy... it's just that I've got my heart set on a girl.

Only time will tell.

I'm off now to perfect the art of sleeping with my eyes open. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

strange things this way come...

I'm sitting in the office slurping back a tiny container of liquidized apple... it's the goodness of one full apple but in the convience of a drink. It's terribly expensive but look ma i'm eating fruit! While secretly in the back of my mind I'm straining to pull through the beautiful smell of roasted chicken that is wafting through the office. Im still pretty much in full on allergy attack mode so it's quite a challenge! My confession?

Damn the chicken smells good. I had a quick look on the counter where the not yet eaten portions remain... one look was enough to confirm that the sight of it was still enough to keep me safely in the veggitarian relgm... but for one small moment I thought just perhaps I would consider eating it again.... eating no... smelling. YUM.

I think we are the owners of the only dog in the world who really has no interest or enjoyment out of going for a walk. I took miss martini out this morning very early when the streets are empty to try and get some excersise for her in before I left for work... she was very good and did walk but trying to express the terror mixed with total disinterest that was expressed in her tiny little face... would be difficult. Poor thing. She doesn't even sniff about when she's out she's pretty much a little robot filled with terror. Best keep watching the dog whisperer when it's on on Saturday's dubbed in Spainsh. Maybe Cesar will have the tip we need to convince her that walkies are fun... or maybe we should just oblige and keep her as an indoor dog?

I'm not sure how I'm still standing

but i was hit today by a massive wave of allergies... from where and from what I'm not sure. I guess perhaps the weather has changed and whatever the spanish version of hay fever is has come early. My sinuses are about to explode. I do not exaggerate when I say I probably sneezed 500 times today.

I had a check up with the Matrona today to make sure all sprog issues are okay. Funny thing is that I've not gained a single ounce yet. All these mad online resources say that you should have at least gained 10lbs by now... guess all this clean living is doing me good and what I'm loosing by being 'healthy' I'm re-gaining as baby weight at the same pace. Just wait tomorrow morning I'll wake up and be a balloon. Ha.

I got to hear the sprog heartbeat today... the Matrona said that she thinks it's a girl as the heartbeat is quite fast which is common in female bubs... but there will be no confirmation until the 20 week scan this time next month. sigh. I haaaaaaaate waiting. Apparently I'm 4 days more pregnant than they initially thought. How the hell do they know? I dont' get it. Doesn't matter really the 25th or the 29th of Jan... whatever the due date is, sprog will arrive once sprog is ready.

Until then I shall continue working like a mad woman... and running my business and puppy training... How I'm going to have any energy while I'm in London, I'm not quite sure. But lets see if I can make it to Thursday morning without having a sinus explosion (or implosion)

snnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnfffffffffffffffffffffffff

someone score me some sinutab? please? I swear the sprog will never notice!

If my dog could talk

it would be saying something like this right about now...

"mummy mummy, i love you I love you, I love you!"

"i'm sorry mummy I can't help it mummy, but I can't fight the urge to bite you on any occasion when your hands are anywhere near my tiny but leathal mouth!"

" mummy mummy i'm full of beans and no amount of sprinting around the house can calm me down!!!!"

however... since the only sounds she makes are squeeking and coughing (minus the 3 barks she emitted the other day when a stranger came in the house which she has never since repeated)... thus consider this dialogue as one transmitted through dog-human telekenesis.

I am sure glad that

We get 1000 free international minutes with our internet/phone service. As I swear my conversation (or diatribe) to Joey last night sure soaked up a lot of them! I'm not usually one full of gossip these days but I seemed to talk her poor ear off last night.

I've been busy this week cracking the back of this new project that I'm working on. It's quite a whopper of a task and I must say it's been good for the old brain to start working again on something that does not have anything to do with agencies.

Looks like miss sally is returning to the land down and under thus we prepare to send her off. I shall be back in london for the fete and then she'll be here shortly afterwards after her jaunt with Rich and Joey to Ibiza. It's going to be a bit mental!

Anyone want to chihuahua puppysit? Too bad she's not yet able to travel yet!

some of us are...

mostly enjoying the first ray of sunshine of the day. It's been so cold and stormy here the past few days... she is a smart cookie.




Update!

She is now enjoying full range sunshine in the sitting room.



Dog blog (first couple entries) are done and with the powers that be... I hope they like them. Worst case scenario I'll do a spin off blog from here and post about her there.

Thanks for everyone's well wishes regarding the bump... I don't really have one yet as I previously mentioned but I'm expecting to wake up one morning in the next few weeks to find that I have 'popped'.

The house feels very empty without all the visitors we've had in the past few weeks. Lilli of course fills it with a great presense of random poops but I'm mostly behaving. I did not even leave the flat once yesterday... I could so very easily slip into a world of agoraphobia... As with most things... I doubt I'd be very good at it as the lack of diet coke would quickly force me back out into public.

Things are ramping up quickly with my new job which I've not written about yet... I'll save that little gem under my hat for a while. You're going to love it!
.

My holidays...

managed to sneak up behind me and tap me on the shoulder... since then the blog wagon has rolled over me several times and I'm still all soiled and don't have any soap powder for my washing machine. No seriously I don't...

The tiny puppy is tiny no more... well she always will be as she is a chihuahua but she's a whopping 850grams now so there is really no telling what could happen. Bulldogs beware!


Uncle Mit and Lilli Martin mostly looking fab!


Is this what they mean when they say "put a cork in it?" nahh don't worry i'm not cruel she can't even bark yet... but she is mostly taking over drinking wine for me since I no longer can...

KJ and Bryan's wedding was a sucess which happened as you know just before the holidays.

My tiny mummy and seestor... with my gramps in the foreground


Seestor's husband checking out the boobage! I love this shot (sorry bryan)

The villa was lovely and a good time was had by all. I think this year we really noticed that we were missing the 2nd week... but good times were had in Barcelona with my mum and my sister and her hubby the week following so that was good. Mum even braved a trip to Ikea with me to buy some stuff and get the spare room in better shape to host the new arrival that I have yet announced... oops well there you go, I just did. The new arrival will do just that around late January therefore there is plenty of time but mum will not be back here before then so she was an angel helping me get things sorted.


The villa gang (minus seestor who was taking the photo)


Seestor Mum and I


Seestor and I on the catamaran. Thank you Orsom for giving us a free spin (or my company a free spin)

Did I mention I was having a baby? Yes indeed. Well anything my sister can do I can always do better right? tee hee... I'm only 14 weeks or was it 15? who knows... I'm not terribly good at this whole new venture, and I've not even really got a bump yet... Fredu is thrilled to say the least. I'm cautiously optimistic as with everything really :)

I'm bucking the trend folks... instead of becomming a mommy blogger I'm going to strive to become a doggy blogger... I'm drafting up sample entries right now for a shot at scoring a slot as a regular content provider for this portal in the UK... nothing confirmed or promised but it would be good fun... time will tell.


Lilli Martini! Not sleeping or biting me to death... but of course relaxing as that's what dogs do!

Congratulations!!!

To my sister and her now husband.

They were married yesterday. It was very sad not to be there but since I spoke to her before and both the dress and shoes she chose to wear were both from me... I was there in spirit! I can't wait to see the pictures!

Work is beyond busy... but isn't it always like this just before you go on holidays???

The puppy now has a name!!! She is Lilli Martini... it was a hard call... all of my spanish friends were voting for Lola... which is really cute too but I think we're best with Lilli.

Suresh jetted back to London yesterday... I swear he did not miss his flight... well that's the story we're going with anyway. It was lovely to have him here. I'm sure Lilli will wonder where he's gone.

Next guests not far away. Mum arrives friday and seestor and new hubby on Sunday.

You know you and your friends all work in media when....

you have an msn conversation like this....

----------------------------------------------
karmparker@some-email.com says:
you got a sec?

http://random_devURL/test

what happens when you go there?

sarah says:
a video loads in top left hand corner

sarah says:
then plays

sarah says:
then there is lots of shooting and robot death

------------------------------------------------
Moments like this are amusing and surreal all at once.

much to my surprise

my paintings just became well expenisve!! I agreed to sell a few with this online shop... They take a 35% commission so of course I made sure the price I gave them was reasonable knowing they would take half... how suprised was I when I saw the actual prices they have them listed at! The whole art world is totally un-known to me so it's all learning... but holy moly for all you out there who already own one of my pieces... They have tripled in value! Hang tight... I can fake my own death and try and push the price up even more... that is of course if you make sure to wire me some money to my swiss account once you sell them (to help keep me in the grave aka a nice island in the south pacific). Thanks!

Finally

Someone who sleeps more than I do! She's not got a name as we are not sure we are keeping her. But she was a good little sleepover guest. She's so tiny and cute and is yet again sleeping! I love it! a true Spanish dog!

She's due back to the breeder tonight who has been indeed kind lending her to us. I think we are going to continue looking although it's a tough choice... but we were looking for one with a lighter face... I will meet her brother tonight when the breeder comes back to collect her. He's got a lighter face but I'm not sure we want a boy... nor if we want something bigger... but we're not so sure he's bigger... time will tell...

in the interim more pictures of her doing what she does best!



Look at the cute paws!


super tiny!

We have now adjusted ourselves and have move into sleeping dog pose number 54. Strech!!!!

i'm having the cutest sleepover ever


she's spending the night... on trust alone! The breeder is too sweet! The puppy is trying to walk on the keyboard as I type. I suppose she likes the clicking noises and the fast moving fingers... she also likes napping... she is 3 months... she's about 10inches long... and under 1kilo...she's so tiny she can't even bark yet... she squeeks!

The drill cranking monkeys...

obviously had the day off today... either that or they were on a cofee break when I was seeing the dentist. I waited for nearly 30 mins for my 11h20 apt. this morning with my CAP salud dentist. When she finally re-surfased from her coffee break that I saw her leave to take not long after I arrived... she ushered me in. I sat on the chair, she asked me to open my mouth... she looked in using one of those tiny mirror jobbies... however did NOT use that hideous pick thing which they normally prod all your teeth with hoping to find a cavity... no no, no prodding. After then 10 second visual scan of my mouth she pronounced that all was well... in fact muy bien! I apparently did not need a cleaning nor did I seem in need of any further attention.

Under 1 minute after arriving I was back out again and on my way in blissful ignorance to my actualy dental hygine status.

You get what you pay for... and this my friends... was free.

No worries. I like denial. It's what's been keeping my pearly whites just that for the past 5 years. I shall carry on just like I have been said the dentist!

Sticky toffee or jawbreaker anyone?

Sometimes some people take secret pictures...

It's just one of those secret things photographers do... I think they can't help it. I found this one... evidence of my slumber... I swear I was dreaming of red devil cupcakes with cream cheese icing...

It's pretty fab considering it was only taken from his camera phone. Kudos to you du du!

For the first time in a long time

I've had a really chill and relaxing morning. We had a very early appointment this morning but the person we were seeing was so late. I thought things were then off to a bad start... but it picked up. I had a lovely breakfast after the meeting... I forget sometimes how lovely the terrace is around the corner from my flat. It's nice to sip an iced coffee while nibbling some toast with apricot marmelade and watch all the cute puppies and people go by.

I'm obviously not in the office today as there is no computer there for me... thus my freedom! So here i set listeing to the Smith's John Peel session... Brilliant does not even begin to describe it. I highly reccomend it.

I've got a dentist appt. tomorrow morning. Usually I need a few weeks to psych myself up for such things but I just found out that heath services here include dental therefore I'm going for a checkup. I guess I've not to worry so much about the checkup it's more about if they find I have a million cavities that have developped since my last apt. It was probably close to 5 years ago... back when I had posh dental insurance while working for Chello... sigh. I'm thinking the service will be a bit less high tech for this visit.... well as long as they don't have a monkey turning the crank that powers the drill, perhaps that's a start....

Happy Canada Day!

It's hot and humid and mildly rainy here today... pretty much average Canada Day weather. It's just not the same though without the beer tents and bad bands! This year I don't even have a balcony from which to fly my mini Canadian flat... we have a terrace but we're at the back of the building and way way up so no one would see it. I'm there in spirit!

Friday night we were hunting around to find some ever elusive sundresses... they are elusive as everything here is so tiny on the bust that if you've got a broad back and anything more than a b cup you're pretty much out of luck. You can do your best to learn the language, understand traditions... but fitting into clothes in a foreign country isn't quite so easy... it's not like I'm huge but by judging some of the shops here I'm a plus plus plus size. What we did find however was a beautiful wedding dress for my sister. I know she already has one but she said it was quite informal... when we stumbled across this beautiful grecian inspired dress we just had to get it for her. I think she will love it. I hope it fits her! I would of course post a pic but I don't want to ruin the surprise for her hubby to be if she decides to wear it. The dress is jetting it's way to her as we speak in an oh so fancy dhl evelope.

Happy birthday duffy denise!!! Welcome to 31! Disfruta!

No puppy news as I had hoped... buying a puppy here pretty much adds up to the same run around routine foreigners seem to feel about all process here... you need patience and perceverance... as well as the ability to wait for many many mananas until you get something done. But it's all good. Good things come to those who wait my mum says... guess spanish people end up with LOTS of good things because we sure as hell do a lot of waiting!!!!

Summer ever so kindly

seems to have put the really good weather on hold as i buckled down this week and did some serious amounts of work. We've not had the heatwave of easter europe or the torrential rain like England... we've mostly has overcast and temperatures in the early 20 degrees... nice but not summer more like autum without the doom of impending winter. It could be worse. I just hope it hots up a tiny bit for the big party my company is doing next Friday.

It's funny sometimes... being a foreinger in a city that other foreigners constantly remind you of how it used to be... I mean people who moved here 10 years ago and not simply 2 like me... They talk of time when bars were open all night long... live music... party central... now the city has shut down most live music venues... there are strict rules to everything... Franco would be so pleased... but I diregress... Last night I met up with my lovely friend Eric in Gracia. This neighborhood is uptown from where I live and much more like a little village. There are far less tourists and bars actually still exist where you can get a beer for 1 euro! In the evening every single square is jam packed with people meeting their friends and familys for a drink and chat... as always there was nowhere to sit so we ventured to a place just off of one square that had a nice looking garden so we went in, in search of a table... there was one albeit inside but right next to the door... It became apparent not long after we entered that this joint was literally filled with just that... joints... everyone was skinning up and smoking their spliff from the comfort of their tables... Eric was beside himself as a fan of the hash he was happy to find somewhere like this... so there you old timer ex-pats... there is just a tiny remanence of old school liberal Barcelona left... now if only I can remember what the place was called...

Mum and seestor and soon to be hubbie have all booked their flights. I am beside myself with happiness. it will be so so good to see them! I think if I don't burn out from all this work before they arrive I will be lucky! It's actually been a long time since I've worked on a campaign site that I'm excited about. I think it's pretty dang good. I guess sometimes the evil ad agency is not so evil... I said SOMETIMES!

I never imagined...

That the day would come that my seetor would decide to get married... and that I would not attend! I know it boggles the mind but sadly it's true. She and Bryan are getting married on the 17th of July... so soon! They are however are then jetting directly off to visit me in Spain, thus the nonp-logic of spending over 1300 dollars for a flight which would be nothing more than a few days visit. I'm sad, but happy for them, but hey we always do things in my family a bit out of the usual... so we shall instead celebrate together once they arrive to my side of the pond.

I've not got to come up with a fabulous wedding present for them... and quick. I've got one thing up my sleeve that will thrill her to death but I need something else... something a little more tangible... this is deamn near impossible considering she is a person who has EVERYTHING... and since they have decided not to find out if their baby is a boy or a girl until she delivers it... pink frilly baby dresses are not an option... sigh..

Tonight is san juan here in bcn... it is the night that the city does not sleep and it explodes into a massive firework display... people hold all night long beach parties and watch the sun come up in the morning... All good in theory... but as I am detoxing (not drinking) it just seems a bit off pace for me... we'll see what I can manage. Chaira's mami and papi are here from Milano so we shall dine with them tonight... we'll see how long into the night I will make it.

Puppy news puppy news! we have a visit scheduled with a local breeder for next week. He's got a brood of 3 new puppies and he is giving us first pick. He seems really sweet and has even offered to give us a dog for a week to try out to see if we get along with it! I'm counting the days!

Off now to have my siesta... I think I will need it... I shall leave you will Alfredo's favorite Los Morancos (spanish comic duo from the south) you need to speak spanish to understand but if you do, you'll be glad you paid attention during language class as it's bloody hilarious! fiesta fiesta! pluma pluma gai!!!! Enjoy!

With all the excitement...

of seestors impending wedding and sprog, I forgot to rejoyce at some very exciting other news. After nearly 8 years my lovely relationship with OSAP has come to an end. Debts have been paid and that the good lord and my mum (who helped lots over the past few years) it's now finished! I remember feeling great despair when I signed the forms 8 years ago and accepted that by the time I was finished paying my loan off I would be 33 years old... but with some help from mum and my grandma it's all done... and 2 years early! Now if I could only find a use for my degree in second language aquisition... Do you think I can apply for a re-fund on my degree?

We have two new additions to our wee flat and they are so cute! One is called Olletta (named after Ollie who bought it for us) and the other little jane (whom bought it for us). I'm loving this new custom of house guests buying plants as thank you gifts! We are so fortunate! Now lets just hope I don't manage to murder them...



Little Jane

Oletta

It's been pretty

slim pickings on the blogging front lately... but today Alfredo showed me this hilarious ad from Italy... which reminded me of this brillaint ad that I saw about 7 years ago during the GLB film festival on Showcase back in Canada. Jolt cola is the best... how I miss it!!!