MANILVA START OR THE WEEK.

MONDAY/TUESDAY 30th/31st JANUARY 2012.

After a lie in and breakfast we went for a long walk around the village with Cheta; in the morning when we take the cover off Charlie’s cage for the next hour he doesn’t stop talking and making all the sounds that he has got to know, he is now barking like the dog, making all sorts of whistles and clicking noises, saying words like ‘Charlie is a good boy, Come on Charlie and his favourite Que Calor? ’ We are trying to get him to say Brenda and think that we are nearly there! Some of the words you can’t make out until you get used to them, last night we had to turn over to another film as the one that we were watching had a lot of swear words in it! At other times he goes quiet as he is watching the TV and when he is eating he has to concentrates as he balances on one leg and uses the other claw to hold what he is eating. We have just cleaned his cage and freshened up his feed and water. In the early evening we went around to Fabio’s 6th birthday party, it takes place in a very large garage under the grandparent’s home and is used by lots of families in the village for their parties; it gets rather loud and noisy as the kids are able to run wild and play on the slides etc.Carlos and Anna Mari looked after us very well,Gin and Bacardi did not stop flowing and Anna Mari’s mother ,Antonia, is the best cook in the village and her Tortilla,Carne Merchada and Russian salad are to die for. A great night was had by all and we even came home with a children’s party box full of sweets! The film that we had to turn off was called ‘ This is England ’from 2006,it was about a troubled 12 year old boy on his school holidays who is befriended by a bunch of Skinheads back in 1983 – based on the true experience of the director.

PS; Over in Old Colwyn it is Thea’s birthday, we called and just missed her but she did get the card – “ Happy Birthday ” Thea – have a “ Helluva ” day,love Malcolm and Brenda xx

This morning we took Cheta to the vets for her monthly shampoo and then shot down to Sabinillas to make an appointment to get Brenda a shampoo and cut also ! We called into the bank and did some other messages and picked up birthday cards from the English bookshop, when we got back to the village Cheta was ready. The weather is still blue skies and sunshine and the forecast through the weekend is more of the same but a little colder, there is a major cold front over the rest of Europe, Brian in Pori is down to minus 14/24 ! We can’t complain as we are not going below 15 degs, plus down here on the Coata Del Sol.!! At lunchtime Mano called in and arranged with our new phone/internet provider ‘ Jazztel ’to have a ‘BlackBerry ’phone with them, it costs nothing for the phone, to buy it would be 300 euros, you get free landline and mobile calls in Spain, free international calls and SMS for a certain number of hours per month and 24 hour internet, all for a very cheap monthly rental contract – our first Smartphone ! Standby for the test calls etc. !!

In the morning w are going over to Estepona to pick up some essential toiletries and at the same time I am going to my barbers to get an inch cut off, it is below my shoulders ! While we are in Estepona we are going to call into the Hypermarket to sign for our card to be updated so as we can take advantage of their 0ver 65 promotion, we will also check out the new camera’s just in case as they have the best offers. On the way back Brenda is going to her regular hairdresser in Sabinillas for her wash and cut. So we will all be looking smart by tomorrow night, no pictures at the moment but we are keeping our fingers crossed.

Lastly as you can see below it is the 150th anniversary of ‘ Bacardi ’ I have been drinking it for fifty of those years sine I was introduced to Bacardi and Coke in Bala,North Wales at the tender age of sixteen !

PS; Charlie has just said ' Where's Brenda ' !!


Thought for the Day;


As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction.


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