Well, what can I say?

"All done and dusted" sounds about right!! Everything is fixed. I did as I was bid and went to the bar at 5pm to let the "plumber" back in. Beryl had come down and was casting an eye over the state of things trying to weigh up whether Favio's conviction that the bar would be open for 9pm would actually come to fruition. We both were doubtful. I took the opportunity to tell her about the recovered false teeth and bearing in mind that they cost their owner €600 she is going to try and contact him back in the UK to pass on the good news!! Still a funny episode though, their loss down the toilet a few days ago, which has caused many a good giggle in the bar since. "Can anybody get a drink in this place??" heralded Randy's arrival down from the apartment to join me and Beryl who a little later returned to the apartment leaving him and me to wait for the plumber's return. Plumber? No. More an oddjob man (minus the bowler of course) but he knew what to do. News travels fast in Torre and Helen dropped by to see the works for herself after having read this blog yesterday, as did Ann & Bill. The plumber and Favio arrived at about 5-30 and I left them to it, adjourning to the Bar down the road (The Ship) where I joined Ann & Bill watching the world go by. A buckshee evening off.

I'd left a chicken roasting in the oven and got back to it at about 8pm to find it nicely browned off and rested. An early dinner ? No. My phone rang. David was down at the Irish bar (Sheerin's) and would I join him? On the way by Ana's I noticed through the open doors Favio and Ana-Mary feverously cleaning up after the trauma of having the floor dug up. Ana-Mary saw me and collared me saying that A) David was round the corner waiting for me and B) they had pulled out of the pipes all manner of stuff, including clothes! Clothes? Down a toilet? It takes all sorts or as Ann S put it "there's nought as queer as folk".

Here, again, I must tell you that I haven't been reporting some aspects of life lately but the reason for David's request for company is because his Ann is seriously ill in hospital. She was readmitted 3 or 4 days ago and is diagnosed as now suffering from Encephalopathy. I've just looked this up and I'm going to quote what I found pertinent to Ann's condition -- "Hypoxic Encephalopathy - Permanent or transitory encephalopathy arising from severely reduced oxygen delivery to the brain". She is very ill.

I joined David where he showed me a little piece of paper with the Spanish and English words for Ann's condition written down by the Doctor. Favio's prediction that the Bar would be open by 9pm came true. I'd seen that he was almost ready on my way by so I told David it was open and he and I left Sheerins after "one" and were back in Ana's by 8-40. Ana-Mary had gone to work by then leaving Favio on his own and I mucked in with a little dusting of the bar and stools while listening to David tell of today's events at the Hospital etc. Later on I popped over to El Bajondillo to catch Ana-Mary on stage where I gave her a huge smile with a double thumbs-up on extended arms causing her to nearly lose her place in her final number! All good stuff. I'm so pleased that the job is finally done and can start looking forward to going to work again.