oh yes...

I own it... the black victor and rolf trenchcoat that whipped London into a frenzy yesterday. I got one and was not 100% sure that I liked it. The shop was like a mad house so I picked it up and decided that I would get KJ's and jojo's opinions when I saw them later. Good idea sarah! Jo jo fell in love with instantly thus it did nto take me long to decide it was for her that I must have bought it! This morning splashed all over Metro was the headline "trench warfare" referring to the crazyness that took place yesterday. They are already retailing on ebay for 150 quid! I'm just happy that giving it to Jo Jo made her happy!

Last night I caught up with lady andrea and lord danny at the pub after work. Lady Andrea proved that eating only soup and bread roll makes you incredibly when mixed with then drinking two large glasses of wine instantly makes one suseptible to Tandori Tourrettes syndrom... which saw her sputtering out various Tandori cuisine elements as we walked to the tube to head home. Utterly hilarious. I think I get so many funny blogging stories in London!

Jo jo was talking to me last night when we got home to her place and showed me the text that she had received from miss woo a few days ago... it was about a dream that she had where I was on a game show and I won 38k! How strange and scary and spooky is that! Secret mission is tomorrow afternoon at 15h30 so we will see how it goes! I bought a euro millions ticket tonight just incase her dream was premintion and that I am going to win 38 million????

If my next post is from somewhere in the maldives you'll know that my ship came in!

Time is just swirling around me

and the same things keep coming back again and again and nothing is getting resolved! Get me off this merry go round! Speaking of spinning... my annual stress/inner ear infection has resurfaced and I am wobbling around like a drunk person... Vertigo is not a pleasant thing! I hope this clears before I attempt to travel on Thursday. I can see myself now... hauled over at customs not for having a passport that is about to expire but because they suspect that I am intoxicated!!! I love it!

I did a new painting over the weekend. It's a bit of a new direction of sorts for me as it is much more detailled than I usually do... I think it's interesting. It sure photographs really well... but I think I am better suited to more abstract things... check it out here.

Robert the art challenge may just be on again! You ready?

I'm not sure if it's the

Detox that I was trying to do... or if it's having quit the detox after only 2 days... but I am feeling a bit more human today at last! I guess it's the two cups of coffee pumping through my system.

The flat situation is still dire but that is no surprise. Lets not kid ourselves...

I'm looking forward to London next week (that is if they let me in). I simply refuse to pay the 1.10 euro fee to ring the madrid embassy only for them to re-confirm that passport processing takes 10 working days and a max of 5 weeks. I know i can not get my new passport back before I travel... there is no use draining my energy fighting a lost cause.

lost causes... something i should be very concious of.

sigh.

bring on the better times please.

want to play a fun game?

It's called never ending disaster and it's based loosely on the principles of my life! Smart me finally finall finally sends off my UK passport for renewal YESTERDAY. There is almost no chance they will renew it and send it back before i need to leave on the 9th.... No worries I'll travel to London on my Canadian one! Oh look Sarah it's expiring on the 15th of November! You know how they are they don't like you travelling at all with you passport about to expire....

Lets see how quickly the canadian passport office will offer to renew me!!! Thank god they have an office here in BCN... the UK one is only in madrid (for passports). Seestor if you read this do NOT panic. (she has already bought her ticket to come to London with me that weekend) I will sort it out somehow...

disaster thy name is me

She came, she saw...



And I managed to forget about all the stress in my house hunting nightmare for a few days. It was a real treat to see my friend Kim she is just so fab! I only wish we did not live on opposite ends of two separate continents!!!

Dispair mounts as the only place I saw that was nice and cheap in the last few months of searching... we did not get. The girl chose a couple closer to her own age! Dear god. Now i am OLD and homeless!

Just when i swore...

I was not going back to london any time soon... oh I am... in a few weeks for a secret mission... and a catch up with the london crew of course... more news as it becomes available...

brilliant

simply brilliant it was... the movie 'Match Point' we watched it last night to try and escape a bit from all this stress... I thoroughly enjoyed it although some people got pretty nervous and could't watch the whole thing :) I've never been a big woody allen follower or fan... but this was really entertaining. I'm not sure it's even been properly released here in spain or if it was i who missed it completely... i'm helplessly behind in all things cinema.

Andrea the little sleuth that she is thinks she has cracked the 3 year old mystery of where to find the brown anna friel shoes she had in that 3G commercial way back when... I can't quite remember exactly what they looked like but these puppies are very nice!

oh yes...

just when you think it couldn't get worse... yup it can. We've learned this lesson by now Sarah come on!

the flat we rented for the week... had no running water for the first day...then the owner called and appologied but she had forgotten a booking at the last minute and we have to be out by wednesday which leaves us high and dry... even in low season it is very difficult to find a flat to rent in barcelona...

After many many hours of searching... and many many euros in phone calls I found a place... the same place i stayed with my sister 2 and a half years ago... phew!

this is NOT fun... i do not reccomend this activity in futility to anyone...

and oh yea just for the icing on the cake... the guy who's flat we were supposed to be renting but pulled out after making us wait for over a month... has put his ad back on line... nice! good luck to you asshole!

I did...

another painting this weekend... this one for Mele and Nicolas for their wedding present. I tried to be a bit more conservative as I did not want to offend them... I hope they like it... if not they can always re-gift it to someone for xmas :) I won't be offended! Check it out on my paintings site http://sarahjarrettpaintings.blogspot.com


The rain has stopped... and today I am packing up to move... to another temporary place... the flat the girl who's flat we are staying in now is returning tomorrow for a week before leaving again to Vietnam for another two months... Living out of a suitcase part dos!!!

I bought a couple of dvd's while in london because they were cheap... and because I have no cable... I got some gems... and some personal favourites...

- wedding crashers (had not previous seen it... I really liked it)
- the cable guy (dark dark funny funny)
- who put the M in Manchester (for ze boi who was dying to buy it... cost me a fiver in the UK and it's on sale here for 35 euros!)
- drop dead fred! (classic!)
- cruel intentions (yea yea yea but I love it!)

I'm still recovering after the disapointment a few weeks back after having seen 'the breakup' what a sad ending... I shall say no more!

sucess!

Well the housing situation is still grim... but on a positive note my new business site is coming up on the first page of google search! I am well pleased about that... now I just need to convert it to some more business!!!

I seem to have brought the rain with me back from London... Being back there at the begining of the week was nice but I was VERY happy to leave... the airport security measures are just insane now... I'll take a pass on returning there for the near future.

We have a four day weekend here... it's spain day or something like that... whatever it is it means that we don't work today or tomorrow. Time to catch up on some zzzzzzzzzz's and oh yea... find somewhere to live!

No big surprise really

But the flat we have been waiting for for the last month... just fell through. The guy renting it gave us the run around and was still confirming with us last week... yesterday they pulled out citing their continual problems with their current tennants... it´s such a pain really... the house hunt has to start all over again and the only things I can see on the market now are horrible and small and yuckie oh and yea did I mention expensive!!!!!

went to see a locale space last night for Vero... the guy showing the space was telling us about this flat he saw for sale for 60k imagine! Dear lord it must be falling to pieces... you damn near pay close to that in rent in a few years... I'm going to hunt it down as it's always worth having a look... ring ring... hey mum wanna buy me a rotted flat in bcn for 60k? Cheers!


sigh... I´m gonna buy a tent and go live on the beach.

Soooooo much to report

Time is spinning by quicky and although moving into my new flat is delayed until possibly the end of the month the temporary accomodation is a great stroke of luck... albeit very much on the damp smelling side I am greatful!

I've been busy working on this part time contact and trying to hustle things with barcelona luxury... all quite a challenge with no internet in my temporary accomodation. Of course today I have run into a mail server challenge... the form on the site is being delivered but the rest of my accounts are not cooperating and not working at all. I am at a loss... I guess I will wait to see if it's a hosting problem or something from my side.

I am off to London for two days early next week for the project kick off meeting for the contract job... It will be so fab to see everyone! Then as an added bonus Kim is coming to visit from Edmonton the following week! I've not seen her in eons! I am so excited. She is holidaying in London and is jetting over to spend 4 days with me while she's on this side of the pond!

Mele's long awaited wedding is this saturday and it should be great fun. I am so happy for her and nicolas. I just need to decide on which outfit to wear. KJ would be pleased as I finally have an event to which I can wear the YSL shoes she bought me for xmas last year!!! Ze boi will be absent which is disapointing as it's never fun to go dateless to a wedding but hey ho... work is more important...

It's alive!

My new venture's website! www.barcelonaluxury.com check it out and tell your friends about it!!!

I never knew it...

However I have a new mum and dad... they live in australia and they have a new pet! They sent me a bunch of pictures to my gmail account... what a cute animal... I have no idea what it is! I did drop them a line to let them know they had the wrong addy :) I wonder if we are related? I looked at the pics of the 'dad' and couldn't spot any major resemblance to mine...



I am such a clever girl i managed to send Fredu's b'day present to joey's old house in london... thus why it did not arrive to her before she left to fly to barcelona on friday... i have such a terrible history of him and shoes for his birthday... one time i bought them from ebay and they fell victim to a fire in a post truck... thus they never arrived... then the next time they arrived and then got left in the back of a taxi... now this year i buy them and send them to the wrong bloody address!! I have no luck at all! Note to self do not buy this man shoes via ebay!

My new venture's site will be up today I am having problems with the contact form but I will simply publish the site with the email contact address and the contact phone numbers for now... The business cards will be ready to collect this afternoon so all engines are go! I will post the URL here once it's all up and pretty!

Happy B'day Fredu and Joey!!!

last night

I had this really vivid dream. I was learning how to kite surf. I was so happy I wasn't half bad at it which really surprised me. I have no idea why but for some reason in my dream I was dating the ex of jessica simpson... Nick lachey or something like that and he was with me kite surfing. When I woke up I felt so buzzed like I had actually been kite surfing... just where the bloke came from I have no idea... When I was down at the beach this afternoon on my way to the gym I looked out for the kite surfers but today there were none... I guess there was only enough wind in my dream!

Back to business now... I've got business cards to get printed and a website that won't finish designing it's self....

Muy divertido

Last night while talking to andrea via skype she sent me this it is just so funny!

Then she sent me this morning a picture of her fab new shoes with the following caption>

Hide your pet zebr


Andrea is very very funny... if you did not view the first link then it will make no sense to you...

I think my day is complete now and it's only 13h!

Clearly

No one was up for my challenge... I sure was but have run into a few problems... Today has been a total wash out... both figuratively and literally. The rain and thunderstorms here have been opressive. When it rains it pours !!! I have managed to develop a nice illness which has kept me in bed all day with a burning fever and tonsils the size of golf balls. Not at all what I wanted to be doing when my to do list has reached epic proportions... I read somewhere that when your to do list has more than 20 items on it, it is no longer a to do list but a bigger thing entirely.

However on a positive note that contract came through and I will be working on a pretty interesting project for the next 3 months for approx 2 days per week. The cash will be a nice thing to keep me a bit more comfortable while I start the business... Dreamweaver permitting my site will be live within the next few days...

You know that there is never a dull moment in my life and yesterday I found out that my moving plans have been slightly altered... we are now not going to be able to move into the new flat until november... A huge pain but luckily a friend of Fredu's is off travelling for 3 months and we can kip at hers... As I said to Andrea yesterday... I'm sure not in notting hill anymore!! Patience my mother says... So I will take a deep breath and try not to swallow (to avoid the tonsil pain)

I've been doing a lot of reflection this week as have most people in the western world I can but suppose. The 11th was horrible, undescribable and haunting. I hate that it happened and I sympathize dearly with all the people who died and for all the families who lost their loved ones... but there are a few very big unanswered questions..... why does no one mention the other planes... there is the flight 93 movie but what about the one that crashed into the pentagon? There is a very eerie silence when it comes to details on that. Does no one find it alarming??? Does no one question how the hundreds of thousands of women men and children have died in iraq and afganistan at the hands of american forces? How can people turn a blind eye to it? Is it easier because all the casualties there are not dying all on the same day? Is it easier to swallow and deny? I just don't see sence. All parties involved are guilty. All need to take responsibilites for their actions and be clear and transparent with their countries... I fear this will never be a reality for the americans... as for the Iraqi's and the Afgans... I am not sure. I think it's hard to face but all parties must accept responsibilty and stop this insanity.

Back I shall crawl to my sick bed... rest assured that the above paragraph will most likely be my one and only political rant of this year.

Anyone up for a challenge???

Well the work on my business has not been very focused lately... it's funny how for the past 8 years or so I have worked in the digital media business... here I sit with very little money in my pocket and the challenge to develop my corporate identity on my own... I am rubbish! It's quite funny really as I am always the head of the team... trying to learn how to run with body parts you can readily identify but very badly operate is tricky!!! To everyone I have worked with in the past... you know I always say that 'you are the expert' well I really really really mean it now!

I think we have found a flat... in the same neighborhood. Sharing with a nice guy from Madrid who is very rarely around. It's going to need some TLC as it is quite neglected... but for the price it's a bargain and who's afraid of a little hard work and some interior decorating???? umm if my webdesign stills are anything to go by... we may need some help!!! LOL While searching for a place I met an extrodanarily lovely couple whom have a gorgeous flat uptown. Although due to the location we decided against asking them if they would have us... they are a truely kindred spirits. You never know, things in life happen for a reason... That I am certain of!

I have challenged one of my lovely blog readers to an art project. I have ventured to try and produce two peices in the next week on the premise that he creates one. Will he accept? Anyone else up for the challenge? I shall post the results of course... go on get out your creative hat... produce something... anything... nothing is a better pick me up that completing a task! I swear to god I was meant to be a teacher... just listen to me!!!

Since I have last...

Written much has happened…all of which is quite scary but exciting too!

1) I sliced my left hand open quite fiercely while trying to make more room in my rubbish bin… silly me managed to get the tin of tuna I had just opened to go straight through me. I almost fainted when I saw how big and deep it was…but I survived and now 4 days later I still hunt and peck on my keyboard to type this out for fear of tearing open the delicate wound between my thumb and my forefinger. Not fun!!! People at the gym have been nice to me and help me adjust the equipment when it requires two hands.

2) Gymmed lots! Mar a two day absence due to hand slicing activities…I have been 8 out of the last 10 days J It feels so good to get those endorphins back! My bellies are happy too as they are reducing!!!

3) Worked on my new business idea…albeit difficult to type I am making progress…even if it is slow…I liken the feeling at times to something like how you feel when you are at school and you have a project you know you should be working on… but you keep procrastinating!?!? I will get there! I have to!!!

4) Given notice on my flat…I love it here however it is time to be economical and that means reducing the rent I pay per month. I have not found a place yet which makes me VERY nervous…but I have 29 days more to do so, so no panic yet!!!

5) Been offered a chance to do some sweet part time PM work for a client of the last agency I worked for... I am well excited about that one!!!

Busy times…but I still managed to enjoy lunch on the beach this afternoon after the gym with a lovely handsome man…

I hope the sunshine finds you wherever you are this weekend!

Good me!

I have finally set up a site for all my paintings... I needed to for a possible exhibition at the budah bar... a great motivator. It feels really good to have finally done it! Check it out here sarahjarrettpaintings.blogspot.com now go and fish out your piggie bank and buy one then I can say, good you!

I am hoping that my recent productivity will also reach to my actual painting. It has been a while but I think I am ready to finish this piece I have been working on for the last few months... *kicks self up the butt*

Have a good weekend enjoy the long weekend all yee brits I will send you some sunshine!