Flying solo

*Robin*

:easter_os

Hello Diary, Lucky, and all dear Friends-in-the-Box, :hello:

For once MSE has a truly appropriate icon to illustrate my mood today:
:EasterBun

Oh yes, I have an excuse for gobbling the head off DS3's chocolate bunny (didn't buy a treat for m'self; asked and got his permission ). Blame stress for the indulgence. :cool:

Well, it's raining today, the latest panic is over and everyone who's still around is somewhere other than here with CD and self. Peace at last.

Phwaur - a sudden cloudburst; like standing beneath a power-shower, as far as the eye can see (which admittedly isn't very far atm). Hooray; this will bring up the water table. :T

Gentle readers, let us begin with reporting happy events:

We met Dear-Step-Great-Grandson who is a cheerful little soul, a very easy-going baby (his first-time Mum doesn't know how lucky she is!). Not very mobile as yet, so he's still 'well padded' as Grandma used to say. Dad is whippet-thin, so doubtless DSGGS** will run off the chubbiness as soon as he's up on his feet.
** What a mouthful! :rotfl:

It was wonderful to have Divos Three and Four staying at the Nest; after a few days we got back into being the strong, co-operative unit we used to be when they were the last children living at home, and DH was away at work. :heartpuls :heartpuls :A

The main social event passed off successfully, and great weather [up until today] has meant all the visitors were able to spend days at the beach, exploring and generally enjoying / entertaining themselves.

However, now the not such good news:
There is a clash of cultures which can result in chaos; it's only ever a problem with visitors from the UK - binge-drinking culture has much to answer for! :wall:
Some folk marvel at how much cheaper it is to have a night out here; their holiday funds go a long way.
Others decide to spend their normal UK budget on 'enjoying' themselves; with disastrous, embarrassing, dangerous results. _pale_

Immediate flights home were found for the culprits, but Muggins is morally responsible for picking up some of the pieces, because Muggins arranged the hire car - which now needs expensive repairs! :mad:

Turns out DSD1 has a serious problem with alcohol these days. Suppose a positive must be that at least the Police, Ambulance service or Coroner were not obliged to deal with the fallout. :cool:

Another positive is that DS3 was here to field the call from the irate owner of said hire car, although Three's reluctance to pass on my assurances that the bill will be sorted out, did rather detract from any benefit in letting him translate.
DS3 is furious that I'm prepared to front the money for his sister - he is incandescent with rage at her recent behaviour!
..But I feel the car hire guy - who is a lovely bloke - doesn't deserve the hassle involved in a long drawn out claim against someone who has left the country (and forgotten most of her Spanish).
If DSD1 fails to repay what will effectively be a private loan, karma can be trusted to step in.

Hopefully what happened will be an epiphany for DSD1 and her DH; they will now acknowledge her alcoholism, his anger issues, and find themselves some proper support to deal with both blights on their lives.

Meanwhile, car-hire-guy - let's call him Manuel [there is more than a passing facial resemblance, for those who remember F.Towers ] is going to have an estimate for the work prepared tomorrow, and I'll find out what the bottom line is on Tuesday (if fit to go into town).
Might ask Plumber along; he's got a pal who runs a car-spraying business, so if the first estimate is too steep we may be able to save a bit via the local Mates' Network.**
** Also source of the now battered hire car, which is why am honour-bound to step up - Robin's reputation is on the line here.

Interweb is crawling along - Divos and self have already got through this month's 'reasonable usage' allowance.
..Just as well I don't really care who killed Lucy Beale, eh? :rotfl:

Ah. Apologies, CD wants some attention:

Pleeease will you get out of the box and see if my chicken has warmed up yet, Mistress?

please-let-me-be-lucky

Sorry to hear of your troubles. If alcohol were discovered today I'm sure it would be labelled the same as Cocaine etc. it has much to answer for :mad:.

Hope CD enjoys her Easter Chicken! Xx

mcculloch29

I've always thought that too, Lucky, along with tobacco. I am sorry you had all that carp to deal with Robin, but pleased that it is being firmly sorted.

Re idyllic existences, my sister's good friend owns a almond farm near Murcia with her husband, but they had to come to the UK to find jobs as they could not make a living out there.
When she was younger, and fitter, DSis went out a few times to help with the harvest. Hard work, and no idyll.

Sun_Addict

Sorry to hear about the alcohol-fuelled mayhem Robin. Pity some people don't get "everything in moderation".

missrlr

Oh dear what an upsetting end to the guests time with you. For all concerned. Such a shame manners get forgotten when overindulgence occurrs. I really hope you send an utterly bald statement of facts including that money is owed and pronto. Preferably direct to car owner! DS3 has every right to be furious, as do all concerned who were upset, harassed, embarrassed and have had to ask forgiveness

Really hope the car repair bill is not disasterous and you don't have to pay, but if you do then you get the money back ASAP.

Alcohol is a fickle mistress and a cruel jailor. Hope DSD gets help and soon, and her family too.

debtfreewannabe321

Morning Robin!

Since going from 3 laptops (which all died within months of one another) to 1 laptop i've not been on to catch up with everyone as much recently; ds1 has taken it hostage the entire Easter hols in his room! Anyway i'm here to catch up albeit a little late! Hope you enjoyed the chocolate I got quite a stash this year :T I never get anything usually but as we had the MIL over I got something delivered via her from all of DH's siblings (he has 4 bros and sis!) so I was pretty happy

As for the car accident :( what a terrible mess and awkward situation to put you in?? I have to say that I have ended up like your DSD1 a few times when visiting my dad. It's not that I have a serious alcohol problem but feel jollied along by a very nearly alcoholic father who wants "company" whilst drinking and he would constantly badger DH & myself to drink. Anyone who knows me knows that I can't handle drink very well (at that time I was a very slender size 8 and am only 5'3" too) and he expected me to keep up with him. Anyway long story short, I got absolutely steaming drunk ended up riding his horse bareback and jumping on a quad bike (not both together....) and ended up with a sprained wrist (how lucky was I that that was all that I ended up with!!!). Woke up the next day oblivious to all this and my father giving me the "talk" about alcoholism :eek: I tried to say I never drink really (aside from nights out) and that i'd felt bullied into it but it fell on deaf ears.....needless to say I learned my lesson and no matter what he says now I very rarely drink with him :rotfl: he's far too practised and several beers will have no effect on him whilst one would make me drunk Not quite the same story as yours but it just reminded me ....I hope she learns her lesson and gets any help she might need!

:A

*Robin*

Hello Diary and MSE friends, :hello:

Thanks for popping in, Lucky, Mcculloch, Sun.A, Missrlr and DFw. :T

Thank you all for your sympathy; it was a shame the week ended on a sour note, but it could have been much worse; we might have been trying to organise a funeral now, or arguing whether repatriating a corpse is a worthwhile use of 26K! :eek:

please-let-me-be-lucky wrote: »

Hope CD enjoys her Easter Chicken! Xx

Oh she did! Hers was raw and chopped of course, rather than poisonous-to-dogs chocolate.
CD has taken to 'reminding' me about her lunch about an hour and a half beforehand, which gives the meat a chance to defrost - hanging on the washing line [in a bag ] - if I've forgotten to get it out of the freezer the night before (guilty about half the time - not much brain left in the evenings, lol).
She actually prefers her chicken sun-warmed, dripping..

Yesterday many messages re the damaged car flowed back and forth via DSGD2 [unfortunately]; neither of her parents apparently having a mobile signal or able to get on-line. (Hmmm - not a great sign).
Despite all evidence to the contrary, DSD1 is still denying responsibility, but has promised I will not be left out of pocket.

Shifted 2K from savings which will cover car repair, irrigation system, and utility bills here until next winter. Hopefully leaving enough in the a/c to pay Plumber's labour charges and ensure CD doesn't go hungry over the next month.

Don't get me started on drugs**.. :mad:
** Definitely include alcohol as a drug!

Short of time now anyway; typing this post in between each stage of hair-washing. Then it's off into town with Divo Three [not Plumber, who's busy today] to talk to Manuel and look at his estimates - also the wretched car, which I haven't seen since the accident.
With any luck DS3's fluent Spanish and charisma will be at least as useful as Plumber's contacts would be; actually, Three has rather more contacts in the Mates' Network thanks to being a local radio star! (:D - Proud Mum moment).

Manuel has been calling twice a day with updates - no chance he'll let this slip my mind!
(The mutual contacts he and I share, must have told him am becoming rather absent-minded! :rotfl:).

DFw - thanks for sharing; you "geddit" don't you? I really hope DSD1 can also learn the lesson Life has given her.

Will try and get back later to comment better on everyone's posts, and let you know the outcome of our meeting with Manuel..

At least the thunderstorms have passed over to the East now; Sun has returned. :cool2:

*Robin*

Dear Diary, :hello:

Yesterday was indeed a spendy day, although Manuel was more than fair in his demand for compensation.
Car is a mess, but apparently the frame is ok so his mate can fix it.
Manuel was obviously worried that DS3 and I were just there to check the damage and act as go-betweens in what would be a long-drawn-out fight between him and DSD1.. He offered a huge discount for immediate settlement, so we shook hands with relief all round; honour satisfied.

Going into town with Divo Three is a completely different experience to taking Plumber (and / or CD). To start with - despite having a second breakfast at the Nest before we set out - he led the way to a tapas bar in the old town (where North European languages are never heard in the alleyways ).
He ordered five tapas; they were pretty generous so after one I was replete, but DS3 polished off the rest with relish, and could have eaten more! ..Not sure whether he's just been missing Spanish cuisine, or perhaps has picked up unfriendly passengers in his gut from a street-food stall somewhere in Asia?

Hmmpf, thinking about 'unfriendly passengers' - over the past few days have become convinced that one of our Easter visitors didn't take all their nits home again.
It's always the kids from the UK [:mad:] - the norm here is to brush children's hair with cologne every day, which is a very effective preventative.
Needless to say, didn't have any in the house because it's been years since this problem has arisen. Tea-tree oil and breaking the little !!!!!!'s legs by brushing hair vigorously before bed kept 'em at bay for a few days, but it was such a relief to finally douse m' head in cologne - could practically hear tiny screams as they suffocated! :cool:
Will have to continue thorough nightly hair-brushing for the next two weeks, but that's a darn sight better [and safer!] than using one of those awful chemical preparations from the pharmacy.

Favourite supermarket was selling off Easter-themed chocolate at half price; a few packets fell into m' trolley, all little figures or eggs which will be perfect for decorating an up-coming birthday cake. That was the excuse, anyway.
DS3 found a rack of reduced-price flower bulbs which were just too tempting; anemones, fresias, lilies and a couple more packets joined the chocolate figures.
Apart from those desires, managed to stick to my list (very aware that more than half the Nest's monthly cash budget had just been handed over to Manuel).

Last stop was the vast campo shop at which I have a credit note (remember the too-expensive garden hose?). DS needed a pair of sandals, but I got stuck outside where they had a pallet full of young trees for sale. One of 'em called to me, as if it were a different, brighter colour than the rest, but - No! Not until the irrigation is sorted out! - kept walking.
First thing Three said when I found him was:
"Did you see that plum tree - will it fit in the van?"
Followed by:
"I'll plant it out for you tomorrow!"

Well. Not having to hand over more €€ made it an easy decision. Irrigation pipes have been ordered, after all.
Answer to the second part of DS' question was: "Only just!"
It is a lovely healthy tree, much taller than the other two I've got planted at the bottom of the garden. Already bearing lots of hard little green fruit which will become juicy red plums; this tree will flourish as soon as we get it out of the pot.

Ah - must confess succumbing to one final want; a Stevia plant. Recently this has been heralded as the healthy alternative to sugar, so I was intrigued. Tasted a piece of leaf no larger than my little-finger nail; sweetness greater than a spoonful of honey stayed in my mouth for a good couple of hours.
Reckon it was well worth 1€ [off the credit note ] to enable experimentation with the properties / uses of a plant which may prove very important to modern society.

CD was exceedingly cross she had been left behind. In retaliation she'd been up on the tables, my bed, even found paw-prints in the bathroom basin.. She chewed the edge off the door-mat, and then obviously got fed up with whatever was on telly, because she'd managed to switch on both laptop and internet by herself!
Apparently CD was reading The !ndependent when we arrived; front page on full screen. It was so funny I couldn't be angry with her - but that's the last time Robin will forget to close lappy's lid before leaving CD alone at the Nest. :rotfl:


Mcculloch, it is hard for a foreigner to find decent employment here, especially if not fluent in both languages. Most ex-pats can only use their homes for holidays until they retire - as we did too.
Hope your sister's mate managed to collect all her almonds last autumn - price shot up after the US harvest failed! Almond trees pretty much look after themselves - don't need irrigation - so although it's a fairly strenuous job knocking down the nuts, last year at least it was well worth the effort.

Missrlr, it will be interesting to see how soon - or whether at all - DSD1 gets in touch re repayment of Manuel's bill. She's on carer's benefits (so not holding m' breath). :cool:
But tbh that is not the most important part of the Life-lesson; hearing she's getting help with her alcoholism would be much better news than the money coming back..

DFw - chocolate feast at yours, then? ..Bet you end up giving most of it to DH and your kids (once they've finished their treats)!

Lucky, Sun.A, I guess there will always be some fallout when large groups of folk who know each other very well, get together in the presence of cheap booze.
Families, eh? Can't help loving them - through a fog of exasperation when too many bottles have been opened - great to catch up with 'em, but isn't it wonderful when they go home! :rotfl:

Skint_but_Optimistic

Your life is a whirligig Robin - so pleased you have caught up with family but its a shame some let you down.

Never doubted CDs intelligence. Shes a one off.

debtfreewannabe321

All the chocolate is nearly gone here and have to say I didn't share very much (it's ok they had much more than me anyway )

I had a little laugh at CD's antics :rotfl: what a character! xx