Friday, 22 May 2009
Expensive expiration
My domain, sierracazorla.net, expired today leaving the website unavailable and this blog badly disrupted. It shouldn't have happened but I did not receive any prior notice about the event and got caught by surprise this morning. The blog I've managed to resurrect and a trip to a Western Union kiosk has got the relevant fee transferred to reinstate the domain, hopefully within the next few hours. I was charged 10euros to send 425rupees. Sounds good until you realize that 425rupees is just 6.68Euros!!! Cost me more in fees!! Esa es la vida.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Frustrating Times
For the second day running I was up before the Sun this morning. Muesli for breakfast and then out to catch Mercadona opening their doors at 9-15 for a little shopping. Bar is checked, dinner is cooking and the rest of the day is mine (well, at least until 4pm.)
So, what's news?? The bar ran out of beer on Monday night (as I found out last night) bringing to fruition my suspicions that control is being lost. And it's very liable to run out again tonight in my opinion. I'm not going to pass comment except to say that Stock Control is somewhat more important than worrying about sparkly fireworks in the occasional Cocktail. The systems that Beryl had in place, and taught me, have gone to pot. Yet no-one seems to be worrying except me and I dont know why I am. Yes I do; a bar cannot be run like it is now. Trouble is that I've come to love the place, and its regular clientele, just as I did the Bar Jardin. Never mind. My Happy Hours go well and I'm done and dusted by 8pm with not another care in the world. Yesterday Mojitos were going "out the door" faster than I could make them and I'm seriously thinking about adding a Cocktail Hour into my 4hr shift. If the same happens again tonight I've prepared myself by going to buy Limes to do the job PROPERLY and made sure that there are sufficient soda waters in the chill (which there weren't, but then I don't have to do the bottling up now either.)
So, what's news?? The bar ran out of beer on Monday night (as I found out last night) bringing to fruition my suspicions that control is being lost. And it's very liable to run out again tonight in my opinion. I'm not going to pass comment except to say that Stock Control is somewhat more important than worrying about sparkly fireworks in the occasional Cocktail. The systems that Beryl had in place, and taught me, have gone to pot. Yet no-one seems to be worrying except me and I dont know why I am. Yes I do; a bar cannot be run like it is now. Trouble is that I've come to love the place, and its regular clientele, just as I did the Bar Jardin. Never mind. My Happy Hours go well and I'm done and dusted by 8pm with not another care in the world. Yesterday Mojitos were going "out the door" faster than I could make them and I'm seriously thinking about adding a Cocktail Hour into my 4hr shift. If the same happens again tonight I've prepared myself by going to buy Limes to do the job PROPERLY and made sure that there are sufficient soda waters in the chill (which there weren't, but then I don't have to do the bottling up now either.)
Monday, 11 May 2009
All seems Well
I've read, re-read and read again my earlier about Larisa and, in my mind, included all that I haven't told here....and given in:-
"Yesterday, it seems, I missed a call from you. All is well? I miss you!"
Within seconds.... "Yes, (right now) I am in Madrid."
"OK. If you want, call me when you get back here. Besos" (which means XX)
"Yes, I will call you"
"Good, I am waiting......"
Much better than drinking myself silly on the cooking wine! And just maybe I've scored a brownie point by responding to her "message" yesterday which I am, now, going to dare to presume was sent as she walked towards baggage reclaim (there are no direct flights Moscow, Malaga on Sundays), and very, very deliberately. We both seem able to read the unwritten and hear the unsaid.
"Yesterday, it seems, I missed a call from you. All is well? I miss you!"
Within seconds.... "Yes, (right now) I am in Madrid."
"OK. If you want, call me when you get back here. Besos" (which means XX)
"Yes, I will call you"
"Good, I am waiting......"
Much better than drinking myself silly on the cooking wine! And just maybe I've scored a brownie point by responding to her "message" yesterday which I am, now, going to dare to presume was sent as she walked towards baggage reclaim (there are no direct flights Moscow, Malaga on Sundays), and very, very deliberately. We both seem able to read the unwritten and hear the unsaid.
We will see....
I've just bumped into Favio at the bar and been asked if I can work all through next Sunday (4 until close) in order to give Juan some time off. "If you can't, or don't want to, I'll ask Beryl to help" he added. "Of course I can" was my answer. Not a problem for me except that all the systems in the bar are being changed and I'm finding it difficult to keep up with it all. For instance, I've been to the bank just this morning to buy some change as normal only to return to find him chucking change into the till with total disregard for the overnight float. Confusion will begin to reign and control is liable to be lost, I can sense it happening. Anyway, enough of the bar for the moment, at least I'm working through until next Monday! Today is my day "off".........
Larisa rang my number yesterday afternoon and immediately rang off. Which tells me that she is back. Possibly not by design though, she may have accidently dialed me. Our last meeting a month or more ago was very fretful. She rang late at night to find out where I was. "Closing the bar" I told her. "OK, wait there, I am coming" she answered. Which she did. Arriving quite drunk and demanding more, keeping me there until about 4am, she began telling me that she had fallen out with her girlfriend (which meant that she was stranded in Torre because the friend has a car) and then became very angry towards me! Taking her ventings on the chin, and becoming cross myself, I eventually told her that I wanted to go home and that she had to leave in order for me to do so. As I locked the doors she wandered off on her own having told me that I have no respect for her, and that we can no longer be friends. My "OK, I understand" was more of a pacification than an agreement and I followed her at a discreet distance with absolutely no intention of letting her spend the night on the street. Having watched her turn into a flight of steps leading up to a restaurant I did the same to find her sat down and in floods of tears. Any comfort from me was totally unacceptable so I just sat on a step or two below her and waited. Eventually my persistent and gentle "come with me, please!" got through and I managed to persuade her to spend the rest of the night, and all the following day as it happened, sleeping off a Mother of all Hangovers here on my sofa. The day was a Wednesday I remember because she showed some surprise that, come the time, I had to go to work. She had become a little playful during the afternoon as her headache wore off so things may not be as bad as they seem and as we parted at the bottom of the steps she apologised for "being a nuisance." She called my number yesterday. And she will probably do so again. Her anger towards me hurt, so I will wait, the ball being totally in her court.
It's a gorgeously sunny day today, 25C and climbing. I'm going for a walk.
Larisa rang my number yesterday afternoon and immediately rang off. Which tells me that she is back. Possibly not by design though, she may have accidently dialed me. Our last meeting a month or more ago was very fretful. She rang late at night to find out where I was. "Closing the bar" I told her. "OK, wait there, I am coming" she answered. Which she did. Arriving quite drunk and demanding more, keeping me there until about 4am, she began telling me that she had fallen out with her girlfriend (which meant that she was stranded in Torre because the friend has a car) and then became very angry towards me! Taking her ventings on the chin, and becoming cross myself, I eventually told her that I wanted to go home and that she had to leave in order for me to do so. As I locked the doors she wandered off on her own having told me that I have no respect for her, and that we can no longer be friends. My "OK, I understand" was more of a pacification than an agreement and I followed her at a discreet distance with absolutely no intention of letting her spend the night on the street. Having watched her turn into a flight of steps leading up to a restaurant I did the same to find her sat down and in floods of tears. Any comfort from me was totally unacceptable so I just sat on a step or two below her and waited. Eventually my persistent and gentle "come with me, please!" got through and I managed to persuade her to spend the rest of the night, and all the following day as it happened, sleeping off a Mother of all Hangovers here on my sofa. The day was a Wednesday I remember because she showed some surprise that, come the time, I had to go to work. She had become a little playful during the afternoon as her headache wore off so things may not be as bad as they seem and as we parted at the bottom of the steps she apologised for "being a nuisance." She called my number yesterday. And she will probably do so again. Her anger towards me hurt, so I will wait, the ball being totally in her court.
It's a gorgeously sunny day today, 25C and climbing. I'm going for a walk.
Saturday, 9 May 2009
Spanners in the Works
I had intended to come home straight from work tonight, cook a meal and have an early night to continue trying to turn my routine around. But towards the end of an extremely busy happy hour session (in those 2 hours I took half of what was taken last night over the course of the remaining 6 hours after 8pm, accounting for my half-prices of course) I received a call from Teresa. "Help" she said, "my gas has run out and I don't know how to change it." "OK,OK, give me half-an hour" I replied. I got there only to find that she also didn't have a spanner with which to change the cylinders over so a quick trip across the road to borrow one became necessary. My plans for a meal tonight meant that a peanut butter sandwich was all I went to work on, but while returning the spanner to its owner, my hunger got the better of me and I succombed to the temptation of a Chicken Curry as I handed the tool back over the bar. A bevvy back at Teresa's after and here I am, home, late, and hungry again. Despite a short rainshower earlier, the place is busy and walking the paseo maritimo is fraught with frustration because of all the dawdlers, everywhere, enjoying Torremolinos's "International Day" and, just down the road from here, Micaela celebrating "cruz de mayo" with her annual floral display outside her hostal. A bad night for wanting to be in a hurry.
While I'm writing I'll put the record straight, being the victim of a slight misunderstanding again. I went over to El Bajondillo on Tuesday, taking advantage of my first free evening, where Ana-Marie was, of course, singing. During her break she came over to talk to me, asking how I was enjoying my new hours etc. My answer wasn't too positive, less hours, less money and such and then, realizing that my perception of the situation at the bar was not right, she explained in English that Juan (who, it turns out is Swedish Anna's Partner, Paco's, brother) has asked Favio to allow him to work in the bar to see whether the business is a viable proposition for renting. An unusual arrangement, but Favio agreed. Only time can tell which way Juan will decide but business has been good of late.
Everybody has been expecting the Red Lion to be demolished and the plot then to be redeveloped. That's as may be but right now the apartment above, across the road from me, is being redecorated in preparation for renting out. So, hopefully, no builders muck, rubbish, noise or dust for me for some while yet. My privacy has gone though. Windows peer at each other at the same level and I've begun to keep my nets drawn to stop prying eyes. Which also cuts down on the light that my babies get. The one I'm nursing courtesy of Beryl is doing very well, having been cut right back to ground level a week ago, it has now presented me with tender new shoots, two of which have begun to unfurl their leaves. I've had difficulty taking a decent photo but...
Visitors come and go all the time here and the last to have gone after a long stay were Kate and Derek from Derbyshire. They kindly passed over the bar to me a bag of unused goodies as they took their leave last Tuesday within which was, amongst much other stuff, a couple of decent sized "bakers" (potatoes). They are to be the basis of tonight's dinner (well at least one is) of a Potato and Tuna Bake a la Torremolinos so without more ado I'm going cooking:-
Potato & Tuna Bake
INGREDIENTS (which will probably make a Pig's portion..grin)
1 good sized spud
1/2 a smallish onion
Portion of frozen spinach.
Olive Oil, Flour, Milk, seasonings and dried herbs (a nice White Sauce)
2 small tins of Tuna (mine is in Brine)
A couple of ounces of Cheddar
1 teaspoon mustard (I've got some Dijon to use up)
PREP
Peel and slice the potato crossways (1/4 inch or so slices)
Peel and finely slice the onion
Grate the cheese and combine with the mustard
Drain the Tuna tins
METHOD
Boil the potato and onion slices, together, until the potatoes are done, whilst, also, cooking the spinach, per packet instructions. When ready and all is well-drained place the potato and onion in the bottom of a small casserole and then cover them with the cooked spinach. Meanwhile knockup half-a-pint of white sauce, season it well and add a couple of your favourite dried herbs for luck before adding the drained Tuna, carefully forked out of the tins without too much break up. Pour the finished sauce over the veg, sprinkle well with the grated cheese/mustard mix and bake in the oven at 190C for 20 minutes or so or at least until the cheese has melted and begun to bubble 'n brown.
PS
I ate the "Curry" but only because I couldn't bring myself to feed it to the poor dustbin. That would have been cruel!
While I'm writing I'll put the record straight, being the victim of a slight misunderstanding again. I went over to El Bajondillo on Tuesday, taking advantage of my first free evening, where Ana-Marie was, of course, singing. During her break she came over to talk to me, asking how I was enjoying my new hours etc. My answer wasn't too positive, less hours, less money and such and then, realizing that my perception of the situation at the bar was not right, she explained in English that Juan (who, it turns out is Swedish Anna's Partner, Paco's, brother) has asked Favio to allow him to work in the bar to see whether the business is a viable proposition for renting. An unusual arrangement, but Favio agreed. Only time can tell which way Juan will decide but business has been good of late.
Everybody has been expecting the Red Lion to be demolished and the plot then to be redeveloped. That's as may be but right now the apartment above, across the road from me, is being redecorated in preparation for renting out. So, hopefully, no builders muck, rubbish, noise or dust for me for some while yet. My privacy has gone though. Windows peer at each other at the same level and I've begun to keep my nets drawn to stop prying eyes. Which also cuts down on the light that my babies get. The one I'm nursing courtesy of Beryl is doing very well, having been cut right back to ground level a week ago, it has now presented me with tender new shoots, two of which have begun to unfurl their leaves. I've had difficulty taking a decent photo but...
Visitors come and go all the time here and the last to have gone after a long stay were Kate and Derek from Derbyshire. They kindly passed over the bar to me a bag of unused goodies as they took their leave last Tuesday within which was, amongst much other stuff, a couple of decent sized "bakers" (potatoes). They are to be the basis of tonight's dinner (well at least one is) of a Potato and Tuna Bake a la Torremolinos so without more ado I'm going cooking:-
Potato & Tuna Bake
INGREDIENTS (which will probably make a Pig's portion..grin)
1 good sized spud
1/2 a smallish onion
Portion of frozen spinach.
Olive Oil, Flour, Milk, seasonings and dried herbs (a nice White Sauce)
2 small tins of Tuna (mine is in Brine)
A couple of ounces of Cheddar
1 teaspoon mustard (I've got some Dijon to use up)
PREP
Peel and slice the potato crossways (1/4 inch or so slices)
Peel and finely slice the onion
Grate the cheese and combine with the mustard
Drain the Tuna tins
METHOD
Boil the potato and onion slices, together, until the potatoes are done, whilst, also, cooking the spinach, per packet instructions. When ready and all is well-drained place the potato and onion in the bottom of a small casserole and then cover them with the cooked spinach. Meanwhile knockup half-a-pint of white sauce, season it well and add a couple of your favourite dried herbs for luck before adding the drained Tuna, carefully forked out of the tins without too much break up. Pour the finished sauce over the veg, sprinkle well with the grated cheese/mustard mix and bake in the oven at 190C for 20 minutes or so or at least until the cheese has melted and begun to bubble 'n brown.
PS
I ate the "Curry" but only because I couldn't bring myself to feed it to the poor dustbin. That would have been cruel!
Sunday, 3 May 2009
Big News
Happy Mother's Day from Spain.
Last night, as he was leaving to go home with Ana-Marie, Favio asked me to meet him today at midday at the bar. "Why?" was my immediate response. "Because I need to talk to you." So, after an almost sleepless night believing the worst was about to happen brought about by the economic down-turn, I did so. He has rented the bar to someone else. I haven't formally met the chap yet although I'm told that he was there listening to The Twilights last Tuesday but, a fellow by the name of Juan is now in charge lock, stock and barrel according to Favio. I have to work as normal tonight, take my day off tomorrow and on Tuesday open at 4pm and work until 8pm whereupon the new proprietor will come in and take over for the rest of the session until 2am etc. What the future now holds no-one knows but I still get to run a Happy Hour between 5 and 6 and at that time of day I'm hoping that there will be a few more people about to take advantage of it. I've still got a job though, that's the main thing.
Last night, as he was leaving to go home with Ana-Marie, Favio asked me to meet him today at midday at the bar. "Why?" was my immediate response. "Because I need to talk to you." So, after an almost sleepless night believing the worst was about to happen brought about by the economic down-turn, I did so. He has rented the bar to someone else. I haven't formally met the chap yet although I'm told that he was there listening to The Twilights last Tuesday but, a fellow by the name of Juan is now in charge lock, stock and barrel according to Favio. I have to work as normal tonight, take my day off tomorrow and on Tuesday open at 4pm and work until 8pm whereupon the new proprietor will come in and take over for the rest of the session until 2am etc. What the future now holds no-one knows but I still get to run a Happy Hour between 5 and 6 and at that time of day I'm hoping that there will be a few more people about to take advantage of it. I've still got a job though, that's the main thing.
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Swansong
Today it is a very warm 26C and probably going to go a little higher before the day is out. Which makes a pleasant change from the showery weekend just gone.
Last night The Twilights performed their last "gig" at Ana's; not by choice but because, again, the Police were summoned by a disgruntled neighbour who told Favio that "once more and you will be closed." While I was at the bar earlier today, bottling-up, Ana-Marie came in with some trailing houseplants that have gone up on the picture rail and I took the opportunity to ask about a music licence. Apparantly they have tried to get one but, she told me, the town is "zoned" for the purpose and in the zone that the bar is part of the authorities do not intend to issue anymore licences for music. So that's that. No more Twilights. Not that it will hurt David & Christys' new-found career, they are well sought after elsewhere in town but it is a shame that, having given them their "break", Ana's is now to lose out.
I had a long chat with Katrina yesterday afternoon via Skype, she called me to ask how I was etc. Life in Omsk is no better than anywhere else at the moment it would seem, the crunch is biting hard in Russia as well. No news of Larisa. But then I didn't ask, just letting Katy get her moans and groans off her chest.
Last night The Twilights performed their last "gig" at Ana's; not by choice but because, again, the Police were summoned by a disgruntled neighbour who told Favio that "once more and you will be closed." While I was at the bar earlier today, bottling-up, Ana-Marie came in with some trailing houseplants that have gone up on the picture rail and I took the opportunity to ask about a music licence. Apparantly they have tried to get one but, she told me, the town is "zoned" for the purpose and in the zone that the bar is part of the authorities do not intend to issue anymore licences for music. So that's that. No more Twilights. Not that it will hurt David & Christys' new-found career, they are well sought after elsewhere in town but it is a shame that, having given them their "break", Ana's is now to lose out.
I had a long chat with Katrina yesterday afternoon via Skype, she called me to ask how I was etc. Life in Omsk is no better than anywhere else at the moment it would seem, the crunch is biting hard in Russia as well. No news of Larisa. But then I didn't ask, just letting Katy get her moans and groans off her chest.
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