Evil thy name is Ikea

I am normally not too bothered by the trekk that is generally involved when going there but yesterday I guess I was just not up for it. We don't have a car but there is a a really good bus service that take you straight there... The main thing I was going for was a sun shade for the terrace... of course it was sold out... and after 45 mins of waiting and asking they told us that we could not have the display one as they could not take it down until all the stock has gone (there were are few items left in a hideous stripy colour) argh... What I don't understand is that they told us they were not re-stocking so what's the big deal? Give me my damn white sun canape!!!! Ikea says no.

But we did manage to still get a few little bits which were delivered bright and early this morning (before 9am!) by three lovely little south american men... Ikea in Barcelona seems to sub-contract the delivery work out to these guys. It makes me quite concerned as I can't imagine them making more than 5euros and hour... talk about brutal work! I live on the equivalent of the 6th floor and there is no lift... I feel bad for them but the guys who deliver groceries are not much better off... although the delay for grocery delivery is 1-2 days it only costs 4 euros... and it's worth it... to avoid bringing up 4 8litre bottles of water plus all our other goodies like wine and juice and food... now that sucks.... I am indeed greatful and yes of course always tip!

My funky little dressing room is looking just that... pretty funky... Fredu set up the mirrors for me and I put together the little wooden box myself... I'm generally not very good at such tasks but I managed that as well as installing the missing clothes rail in our wardrobe which was finally back in stock! Fredu also deserves credit for building the shelving unit himself... no ikea needed there... wood was bought from a local shop in our neighborhood... he painted it white of course... my little wooden box will soon follow suit.



Shoe order and other such delights of the dressing room!

The Screaming woman

There is this woman who lives in a flat who's window faces into an interior patio out onto which our bathroom window looks out into. Here in Barcelona the old buildings have lots of these secret patios which are I think designed to let light into the dark recesses of some areas of the building. You can't acess them but they are just there... Not all of them work... The tiny interior patio which the spare room, dressing room and salon all have windows to, brings in a tiny ray of sunlight for approx 10 mins every day. The rest of the time it's DARK and grey and serves no visual interest whatsoever... Anyway, back to the bathroom interior patio. Every day at around 11am there is a woman who screams out her window into this interior patio. It's very regular and it's rather upsetting. I've never seen her, I only hear this agonising scream... Every day like clock work. Ollie says it's a common thing in Russian villages... Old people suffer from it and it has something to do with isolation. I'm not too sure if that is the case here as we're right smack dab in the middle of bcn... there are hundreds of people around all the time and although you can still feel isolated when in a huge mass of people... well you get the idea... I sometimes worry that she's locked in... or being tortured or other times just think perhaps she's mentally ill and can't help it... either way it's pretty unsettling... especially for unsuspecting house guests! I don't know how to ask my other neighbors about it... maybe they know the secret...

Since my seestor

Has failed to blog about this herself... I have no other recourse to announce that I will soon be an auntie! How clever is that? Congrats to her and Bryan. Such excitement... I've known since my trip to Canada but have had to keep it to myself all this time! Not easy for someone like me!


Seestor!!!!!!

The puppy search continues but the pickings are slim unless I want to part with the better side of 1k... which lets face it, is not such a hot idea financially.

Work work work and more work... when is a girl to find time for some much needed shopping?

Its far past my bedtime...

but I've simply just run out of time for a lot of things lately... work and such is getting in the way. I'm longing for a holiday... just a few days away from all of the daily grind... the villa seems an eternity away as it's the end of July. I'm counting down the minutes!

Our lovely houseguest for the past two weeks, Ollie, treated us to a lovely supper tonight at a nice restaurant in Raval. It will be strange around the house without him here... and Alfredo's bicing card will experience a sharp decline in usage! Not to fear though... the Sonar peeps arrive next Thursday so just enough time to clean all the linnen! I can't wait to meet Jo Jo's new lady!!! I hope the icecream shops in town are well stocked up... Jo jo hits them hard when in town! With her she will bring supplies such as the latest issue of Gratzia, marmite, tea, and vip toilettries from Boots! Whoot!

Lovely mini me is maxxing it up in Valencia on a boat watching the America's cup. Lucky ladee! Should catch her up this weekend at mele and nicolas' bbq!

sleep beckons... sleep always wins. buenas noches!

Congratulations are in order....

I'm so excited... but I must leave the revealing of the details to my seestor... it's been a month that I've had to keep my mouth shut about what she had to announce and now the cat is out of the bag... well almost... I think I must wait till she writes about it herself on her blog... drop her a line and see if she'll post about it...

I've been sequestered away this weekend. Saturday morning started bright and early for some whom had oh so cleverly picked up a nasty bought of food poisoning from my favorite restaurant during my lunch there on Friday... I wonder if the calories still count if it all comes back up 15h later??? All I can say is ewwwwwwwwwwwww! Semi-monthly food poisoning is just one of the minor glitches that come along with living in a hot country. I'm getting used to it. I don't like it but I would take it over a snow storm any day!

The cute puppy in the picture looks like it will forever remain the cute puppy in the picture as I think we waited too long to confirm that we wanted it and the owner sold it to someone else :( I can only assume that's why he has not returned our calls. Ah well, back to the drawing board... Look forward to more cute puppy preview pics. There is always a postive side of course!

It's segunda pasqua here today in Barcelona. Nowhere else in Spain has the day off but here all is shut down. Exactly what the second easter thing is, I'm not quite sure... so I'll stick to listening to the second coming by the stone roses and leave it at that...

A family act

Today in paseo del borne there was a small family performing a musical trio. They had 3 children but the two youngest who were boys were too small to play with them. The highlight of the act was the young girl who played the bongo/jimbe. She had such incredible rythm. It was the first time I've witnessed someone so young play that instrument so well. The mother had a beautiful voice! They drew a small crowd quite quickly and by the end of the 1st song they had pulled in easily 12 Euros. Now that's a good business idea... my only other question is... why the devil was she not in school?

A huge Thank You

To Amanda at www.hitflip.co.uk for sending me a T-shirt.

Do check out the site it's way cool! I wish we had something like this down here in Spain, you know how I'm always desperate for new English books!

They are a swap site for you DVDs, games, music CDs, audiobooks, and books.

Go, surf, swap, prosper!!!!

So the vending machine just didn't do it for you...

what's wrong people! That's classic!!!????

I'm over it!

On to more totally un-interesting observations... Ollie who is still here visiting took me out for a meal last night. And the restaurant served this!



Canada Dry Cola! Who knew... I don't think I've ever seen this... am I just a bad Canadian? Probably.

Work is eeeeeevil... but one more month and I should be officially free from my duties.

No updates yet on the cute puppy... I hope to have one soon.

And just for the record Joey... my washing is blowing off the line.

Another really cool thing about Barcelona...

Is that it is awash with really interesting vending machines. There is a book vending machine at the major train stations and metros... there is a flower bouquet vending machine at the airport an ice lolly/magnum ice cream vending machine at my gym... also found at my gym is this machine...



I know in english if you look at the picture you will read 'anillo' and no that does not mean anus... it means 'ring'... it's a vibrating cock ring no less! Next to it you will also find, tissues, cough drops, slimming patches and of course what every gym goer requires... a blood alcohol tester! All fairly normal? DEAR LORD NO! Ollie and I just had to see how much the vibrating cock ring cost... it was a bargain at 4,50 Euros!!!

Now the the important question...

What is one sale in the remaining rows of said venting machine?

Or moreso... what on earth are people in my gym getting up to while they are there??? Am I missing something?

More rows of this vending machine will follow... bet you can't guess what they vend further down...

Now who says my life is boring?

Insert tiny high pitch squeel of cuteness here...



And yes it's a real dog... and no it is not a stuffed animal... more details to follow....

Incomming

Two paintings comming up... one pinkie and one greenie and bluie... they're in progress but I want to finish them by the end of the day as I've got 4 more after them to do to finish the newest chapter in my collection in preparation for the exhibition.... I've not painted since xmas, it feels strange but good. I don't want to do anything else... I think I am taking advantage of having time on my own here in the flat... our back to back guest hosting commences soon so I know alone time will be a bit more challenging!

gym, i swear I will make it today!

The river up in Sort is running wild, Fredu has been up there all weekend with a group who are taking full advantage and rafting and kayaking like mad. Water doesn't last long here... too hot.

Tomorrow we are going to visit two puppies from the same breeder from which came the lovely brown one I posted about a while back. They are soooo cute. I want to get an idea as to what kind of breeders they are... and if there is even a whiff of puppy mill... then no matter how cute they are I'm not buying! Thanks to Joey to contributing to the puppy slush fund as my b'day gift... and no, just because it's a puppy slush fund doesn't mean the dog will be blue (he he he)

This isn't one of those posts where I...

speak of winning/earning a million Euros... no no this is one where I write about if I won/earned SEVERAL million euros...

If or should I say more positively when I achieve this i would love to buy this place. Not hard to figure out why really... Until then I shall remain positive and focus on other more pressing things like...hmmm REALITY!

I want to ride my bicycle I want to ride my bike!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joey would get this... as in her head she can hear Fredu, Her and I singing this in the street (way off tune) last weekend while walking home... i think she has some low light video of said singing crime but lets not metion that!

But back to bikes... I have been an apassionado of bikes since about 2000 everywhere I end up living it's my choice mode of transport! I still don't quite get it how I had no fear cycling in central london... that was madness!!! Anyhow I dirgess. Here in Barcelona cycling is fantastic. Most of the city is fairly flat and where there are not bike lanes the footpath is sufficiently large to accomodate both pedestrians and bikes, and in general as long as you are very careful no one seems to mind shairing footpath space (roads on the other hand are not an option as the cars and scooters use you for target practise!)... well I have a lovely old bike which I affectionatey call B jr (after fredu's bike which I named B as it's a B&H which is a Spanish brand) but now I have hundreds and hundreds of bikes!!!!!!!

Barcelona has just introduced this really cool suppliment to their urban transport system... other cities listen up! They have introduced www.bicing.com. The concept sees thousands of bikes set up around the city close to metro stations and other busy areas. The concept is that locals sign up and pay a small annual fee which then entitles them to use any bike they want for 30mins for free. They then drop it off at the nearest parking spot and that's it! If you wish to keep the bike for a longer time frame the cost is like 30cents per additional 1/2h... it's brilliant!!!!!!!

The only problem for me is that I already have a bike and now I have so many more I am spoiled for choice I can't quite figure out when to use what!!! Like a kid in a candy store I tell you!

The other day I was filled with glee after a trip up-town to visit my accountant... We realised it was a perfect opportunity to get on the free bikes! we touched in our access cards which had arrived in the post on Tuesday and away we went!!! Now they are not necesarily the prettiest of bikes but weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it was fun!


Super cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pictures a promised...

The guests have come and gone and it was a really fun weekend. We even had the added treat of Richard joining us fresh off the plane from oz... how jet set... oz to london to barcelona in the span of a few days!

We ate, shopped, rode bikes and mostly behaved ourselves... what a difference a few years make!

I'm amazed to announce that the villa was quick and painless this year and that london crew are booked in for July 21st-28th. Should be good! Now it's just to see if CDN crew are going to come and if some of that crew will manage to get married while they are here??? I am mostly re-searching the possibility but it looks slim as you can imagine that the bureaucracy here is most definately SLOW.... veremos!

I'm starting up Luke's distance training program soon which will see me mostly strive blindly into the attempt to rock the bikini season in the next month... Sarong anyone? He he he.

Ah yes the pictures and there are lots!


Joey and Monkey- How cute are they?


Stairs! Did I mention the 106 steps (I counted after Richard claimed there were 96 steps up to our flat) I tell you... no need for stair-master in our lives!


Joey and Fredu - Such a cute pic... Joey is as glamourpuss as ever!


Supper at Salamanca on the beach... still not quite summer yet as jackets were required


Me, Richard and Fredu at our front door... can you see the evidence of the ultima de la ultima in the boy's hands? Bless the beer sellers in the street.


Richard, just loving Passetore Pizza lunch on Friday afternoon!
Did I mention the part where girls at the beach bar asked Alfredo if Richard was Mick Hucknall? He did not tell them that he was not... so some poor american girls are living the false dream of having sat next to a music legend... Richard you rock babes!

60th wedding anniversary pics from Canada


My gramps and my cousin named Steel from Devon... rocking the fly suit!


Gramps and their daughters minus one... my mum is on the right


Gramps and their grandchildren minus 3


Grandma looking beautiful! I did her makeup :)

The people are coming the people are coming!

I remember this mad voiceover in the old old old from way back when TV commercial for African Lion Safari. See I do remeber Candaian things every once and a while! Well yea it had voiceovers for the animals and I think if I am not mistaken it was the girafe that exclaimed that the people were coming! Well as the girafe did all those years ago... I too can say the same thing! The people are coming and they are Joey, Sally, and now Paul and Richard!!!! Fresh off the plane from Oz! I'm so excited!!!

Best get my house sorted quickly. Fredu has been hard at work putting up shelves in our funky little dressing room situated right off the bathroom! Storage soloutions rock!

I'm slowly recovering from a full day meeting yesterday with the peeps from the evil ad agency's other offices around Europe... the long meeting was followed up by a city tour on a Trixi and then tapas in Raval and dinner in the gotico... too bad that a lot of people were then subsequently poisoned by the food at Caracoles... I was lucky as I was so stuffed from the Tapas I did not eat much! My poisoning came more from the karishnakofs we drank at the small bar afterwards... so much for resting before the feiestivities of this weekend...

The villa for this summer may just be all sorted... quick quick quick... Hope that we get it and it was really that simple... last year's searching was madness! I don't think cdn peeps are coming this year but the london crew will be in full force so that's okay!

off to clean house and organise life!

Ciao todos!

I'm back

I'm jet lagged but I'm back.

I'm happy to report although this entry will be less amusing because of it... neither of my feet nor other appendages managed to cause me humiliation during my 30h of travel that I've undertaken in the last week. My right leg did it's very best to go completely numb just as the left one did in my fated Amsterdam flight but I was smarter this time and revived it before attempting to use it for mobility purposes... I must be getting old... circulation is clearly a challenge for my limbs on flights.

I had a brilliant time at home and really enjoyed the quality time spent with my mum and my sis and the rest of the family. Although we had lots of jetting around to do to acomplish all the shopping that was needed for the party and for other purposes, it was really really nice!

The weather in bcn has decided to play nice again and we're back in the business of being spring and we're looking at 22 degrees right now which is just fine by me. Smelling the sea air again is nice... spending a bit of time away from here helps you notice the things that you can stop noticing after a while. Someone once told me that after a while living in Vancouver you stop noticing the Rockies... maybe because they are always covered by rain clouds? he he he...

The week is filling up at a rapid pace and the girlies arrive friday for a whirlwind of fun.

Pictures will follow...

Well...

The great white north is not so white right now but its sure not been as warm as I hoped it would be! Its been a quick but brilliant visit... did a girlie day yesterday and we even managed to convince my mother to join us for a mani-pedi!!!

Fredu will be most pleased with his new forest hills that we found for him here for 50$ cdn!!! I tell you they go for like 60quid on Ebay in the UK... I should have bought a couple!!!

Things are ramping up for the big party... I best get on that plane soon as all this Canadian food has the possiblity of making me mighty plump... hello gym, this is Sarah committing to a two visits per day regiment... but its worth it if not for the ketchup chips alone!!!

Joey is counting down sleeps until her arrival in BCN the weekend after this one. I am so excited to see her and Sal!

Andrea is mostly occupied buying a new abode which is most exciting indeed for her and Danny.

My facebook addiction is slowing slightly... its like crack I tell you....

Hasta pronto mi corazon xoxoxox

I'm well pleased

That my sister found my last post so funny... I often try and capture the hilarity of certain misfortunes in my life but am never quite sure if I manage... she has problems with submitting a comment to my blog... I'm a bit puzzled... If you too are having problems, can you drop me a line please using the link called "dare you" in the left hand column and let me know?

Seestor is hiding big exciting news... she could be getting married, pregnant, or both... I guess I have to wait until Thursday night to find out.

Today marks the run around buy presents and pack your bag day... kind of like mini xmas preparation... glad this time I should not be going home to cold!

Public humiliation thy name is Sarah... looking pissed on my 9am flight

Well lets see... kind of like that Gilligan's Island fated 3h tour... My 4am start yesterday was doomed for disaster. I shared a taxi with a lovely bloke from the neighborhood who might be able to send me some good contacts for my business. That is good. I arrived at the airport in good time, met my colleague, checked in and then proceeded through customs... we arrived at the gate 40mins before the flight therefore took off to grab a coffee... we returned to the gate 15 mins later and the flight was closed and we had missed the flight. Nice. Argh!

We then scuttle through the airport and I collect my bag which I checked containing bottles of wine for the clients... my colleague went hunting to see which flight we could jump on and still make our meetings... We got the 2 of the last 3 remaining seats on the 9h10 flight, phew. We go through customs again and this time stay put at the gate. Board the flight. And then we both immediately passed out.

About 10 or 15 minutes airborne I woke up and decided to pop to the loo quickly before the lady brought around the refreshments... I was in the middle so I asked the lady next to me to let me out... I scooched by her taking the lead with my right foot. Once in the Ise I proceeded again with my right foot and the the left... and then the left... I looked down and my foot was folded over at the ankle.. and the rest of the left hand side of my body had collapsed. I was confused. Hmm must have triped on something. I take another step with my right foot and then one with the left... collapse. WTF was going on?? I look back at the 12 rows of people behind me whom are all staring at me in total panic/confusion. They have just seen a normal business woman, get up, stumble, collapse, stumble again... I must have looked nothing other then pissed! To them I was a drunkard collapsing in the isle at 9am!!! I however, was not... My left foot had somehow lost total circulation while I had fallen asleep and instead of the normal pins and needles that indicate the loss of circulation I had nothing... no indicator that my left foot had ceased to function. I dragged my self the rest of the way down the isle and to the loo. Inside I collected myself and worked vigorously to re-animate my gammy foot.

Upon my exit from the loo, I walked very steadily and this time without falling back to my seat. Head down of course.

We caught a taxi from the airport to Utrecht for the tune of 95 euros (madness) and the taxi driver got lost... his gps was not working properly and low and behold he had no map. By this time we were a full hour late for our second meeting having completely missed the first one...

Nightmare!

I tell you... travelling with me is just a barrel of laughs...

Good news is that I'll be eating vla and speculas voraciously until I leave for Canada onThursday...I wonder what trouble I'll get myself into on that flight?


pretty flowers in amsterdam

standard canal pic...

Good things come in 3's no?

Well I'm hoping so as the first good thing happened today. I got accepted to exhibit my paintings at a gallery here in Barcelona! Very exciting indeed. The only small challenge is that I need to produce 6 more pieces before the show... I only have 9 in the collection left and I need to show 15 pieces. It's going to be a good challenge to get those done! Perhaps it was just the kick in the arse that I needed to get moving!

I'm really not looking forward to the 5h30 am get out of bed and drag arse to airport scenario that awaits me tomorrow morning... nor the return flight that will get me home just a bit before midnight...

We went to a really lovely bbq yesterday at Wendy's house. It was so nice to get out of the centre of the city and explore the burbs... we don't often have the chance!


The sun showed up!


Wendy and one of her little ones running around in the background!