I am also discovering “patience” as I had written my lot and then the ADSL went down so lost everything.

I am self-employed so if I sell, I earn, if not…..well – But I enjoy what I am doing despite the risks.

Fortunately a number of Spaniards want to go to the Norwegian Fjords which is one of sme areas where I am considered to be the expert.

However, I have had a trying couple of weeks starting with my water heater breaking down on a Sunday morning which meant i couldn't get a plumber until Tuesday – Fortunately nice guy who was very efficient, found ther prob which was the switch  had crumbled apart, changed it and only charged me 40 Euros for his time and the new piece.  So I only had 3 days of boiling a kettle to wash myself. Following Friday the washing machine decided to stop leaking and cop it for god (thank God I live on the ground floor) but until I get myself organised time-wise and financially wise I am limited to washing by hand which is not too bad as it's boiling hot in Madrid.  That same night when I was boiling the kettle for a cup of coffee the electricty blew  – Manged to get that back on but decided enough was enough and went to bed.  The next morning when I went to make a coffee I saw that the wires into the plug of the kettle were burnt out – The air was blue in as many languages as I could remember but on calming down I realised that I could fix that by cutting of the offending wires and redoing the plug so kettle on the boil again.  They say things come in 3s so I was quite happy that the phase should have finished…….but no!  This Tuesday got into the office and found that my computer screen wasn't working!  Fortunately I have some very good ofice neighbours and one checked his screen on my computer and it was the screen and not the whole computer (which would have been a disaster although I have a back-up). For those in the know, it is Tuesday 13th that is the unlucky day in Spain and not friday as is the rest of the world.  Have tried to find the reason for this but ot no avail.  Went to one shop to look at screens but had to take a number to be attened to which, happened to be 13 and I was received by a very off-hand person, so I left.  Went to another shop – explained the prob. Salesman was extremely nice – purchase made but thenI had to drag the item through the boiling streets of Madrid.  Made it and some other nice neighbour helped me instal it.

Then I had a mixture of clients in for Norway, Britain, etc. plus two of my yearly regular Spanish clients who visit various parts of England each year, popped in to say thanks and give me a present of a box of chocs.  (They are so nice).  However, my prob. with chocs. is that i normally never buy sweet things because if I start on a box I could finish the lot and then be quite ill – so , as on other ocasions I went to the various offices in the building (after keeping a couple for myself) handing out these .

Have to say that despite the so called crisis in Spain, this week has not been bad – but on an overall level I have had to tighten my belt so much that for the past 2 years I have not been able to indulge in my biggest vice, that  of buying books, so I am rereading the approx. 1,000 books that I posses. 

This morning my eyes alighted on one which I had forgotten about so I took it out.  I must have bought it in England some years ago but for some reason I read only a couple of pages – I open the book and 250 Euros fell out.  Name of the book ? “The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner”

Well 250 Euros is not going to get me out of the whole situation I am in but, as they say in my part of the world in England, “It is better than a smack in the face” –

I hope that anyone who is feeling down or has had a run of bad luck is able to pick up some of my very positive vibes.

The AB and Liz website has also been of great help during my hard times and it has been brilliant to be able to converse through these forums – Thanks to Claire of course! and more!!!