Long Time No Nada

So Saturday January 26th I finally succeeded in waking Victor up only to have him say he wanted to go running. He went running and I went shopping, which on a Saturday afternoon is a complete pain. I was a little upset I had waited for Sleeping Beauty all afternoon and wasted my oppourtunity to shop during the siesta hour, when no one is out, which is much more comfortable for me, a person who doesn´t like shopping. So I shopped till about 9 and then came back and Victor and I went out for a walk and some tapas. I saw the French teacher from my school out with her friends and that was kinda funny. Then Victor and I went to the movies and saw, Mortadello and Filemon: Missión: Salvar la Tierra (save the earth). Mortadello and Filemon are very famous comics that everyone grew up with here in Spain, so it was a little stupid for me, but I liked it.

Sunday I went to church, ate with the family, took a nap, and then I think Victor and I went out for another walk. We also made plans for a crazy whirlwind trip to go to the Carnaval, the giant party before lent, in Cádiz the next weekend. Then in the evening we tried to visit Nacho and Alicia but they were busy. Victor didn´t have to go to Malaga that night because the next week he was working in Almería, a city that Granada is 1 hour closer to than Málaga. So in the evening he went out and watched a soccer match with his friends and I spent some really awkward time in my appartment. This was the first weekend that my roommies stayed, and on Sunday afternoon Rosa and Zore were home with José and Raquel. José was hanging out with Rosa and Raquel and Zore were talking in the living room. So I did some stuff in my room, dinked around, went and sat in the living room and stared at the tv I couldn´t understand because of the constant conversation Raquel and Zore were excluding me from. So I sat there for a good while, and then Camera Cafe came on and finally we were all watching tv more or less together and then Victor came and we went to his house. We hung out and watched tv and just goofed off till late. It was fun to have him in Granada for an extra night.

Monday January 28th I went running, cleaned the hosue and went shopping in the morning for my dad´s bday present and costumes for the Carnaval. I was busy all morning and then came home and ate lunch and then went straight to work. It went ok but there were 2 kids with nasty snot running down their faces and I knew that I was going to have to pay for that later. Then I went to the Academy to prepare for the next classes, practiced guitar, and then had class with Nacho and Alicia. Nacho is starting to work a lot more so we ended early. Then home and bed I guess.

Tuesday, running, guitar class and more shopping. I had a good time looking around and found some really amazing deals since Spain is in its 2nd phase of markdowns in the After 3 Kings Day Sales. I bought a cute summer dress, which when I asked Rosa if she liked it, she diverted the question twice so apparently not eveyone thinks its cute. I also got several pairs of shoes, and stuff for the costume. Then home, and I made Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for lunch. I was exhausted and needed a quick, fast comfort food. I also wanted to share this childhood deliciousness with my roommates. They didn´t know what they were going to eat, didn´t have anything, etc, etc, but they still didn´t want to take me up on my offer. So they diverted again my offers of American goodness till they finally said no after like the 100th time I offered. That´s all they had to say the first time. Then I went downstairs to pick up a package the mail lady gave to Pepa when no one ansewerd my door and Nacho was there. I used the internet and Nacho offered to drive me to work because it was on his way. I accepted. At work more kids had snotty noses and I knew I was doomed. Then to work with Carlos and Marta, I think I ran a few errands on the way home and then hang out and bed.

Wednesday I woke up sick, had class in the morning, and my second teacher´s class went really well. It was just Javier and I and we talked pretty much the whole time about the Carnaval and other things in Granada. That day he didn´t learn English, I learned Spanish. On my way home from work I bought a sweater thing at Zara. It wasn´t marked down but I decided that I work so much and so hard that I deserve whatever caprices I want. Then lunch, Fama and class with Conchi and Valentina. Then I had a small errand to run and then came home to find Rosa, Zore and Raquel there and one of the most outrageous, awkward and ridiculous experiences yet. I was getting ready to go running and wanted to know if anyone felt like going with me. They didn´t because their friendd was coming over for dinner. I said oh Manolo?, who comes over every Wednesday night, but no it was their other friend who was best friends with the boys who lived in the 9th floor. Those boys are José and his brothers who are good friends with Victor, so if he was their friend, I probably knew him. But they don´t like to share any info with me so finding out how they knew him, from what, what his name was, etc. was like pulling teeth. Before I left to run, Manolo called to see if he could come over. They of course said yes, and recalculated the count for dinner, 5 people. the 3 girls, and their 2 guy friends. Clearly I was not invited to their dinner party. So I went on my run, got back and found them discussing what to make for dinner, they didn´t have enough pasta so I offered mine. Only then did they realize that I was going to eat dinner there that night as well, and asked if I wanted to eat with them. I offered to make brownies to bring something to the table. So I started to make the brownies and realized that it was a smaller batch and needed the 8x8 pan, and we only have a rectangular one. So I could bake it in the larger pan and serve brownie crisps or use my only other precious brownie mix my aunt sent me and try to make friends. So I sacrficed my selfish desires and made the second batch. The brownies turned out amazing, but after a huge plate of pasta and pizza, everyone was so stuffed that they could barely try a tiny little square. They all said it was good, but no one asked for more. Not to worry, we still had Thursday. The rest of the night was spent being ignored as I cleaned up their dishes. Then I went to bed.

Thursday my first class was cancelled and so I woke up and went running. I also gave some brownies to Pepa and Emilio and Nachete who didn´t go to school that day. I also set aside one for Victor since I figured my roommies would devour the rest before he got there on Friday. I brought one to Michelle at work who loved it and said it was really delicious! Then I had a couple classes, came home and ate lunch and then went to guitar. Right now I am not remebering any details about Thursday. I think guitar went bad and then I came home and wanted to see if the girls wanted to do tapas with me and my friends from work. They didn´t because they were too tired. So I went and got some tapitas with Samar, her friend Victor, Kristen, Jenna and this other guy I hadn´t met before. It was fun but short, we just had 2 rounds and then I came home. My roommates couldn´t believe I was home so early and made several comments about it. So I went to bed. Apparently they weren´t too tired though as I heard several of their friends come over later and stay quite late.

Friday work. I had a really bad day and the kids almost made me cry. I would have if I didn´t have to go straight into another class that went just as bad. I really dislike my job and I´m not sure if I´m fulfilling my New Year´s Resolution concerning it. It was bad. Then the last shopping stop for my costume, I had forgotten my wallet and had the girl save the stuff for me, home, lunch and Fama and Adri got home. I commented to him that I wasn´t really comfortable with the girls and he said he wasn´t either. Then Victor got home from Almería and drove me to work. Work with Pablo, then back and Adrian and I finished our conversation/venting session about our roommates and what to do about it. We didn´t reach a good solution. Then I went to Victor´s house and he told me he didn´t want to go through with our ridiculous Carnaval plan. Completely understandable, it was a crazy plan and the guy travels and works like crazy. Regardless, after Victor had suggested it, I had spent all week looking forward to it, shopping for it, and now realized that a lot of my friends had already bought their tickets to go the next weekend, and it was too late for me. A difficult situation with no win-win solution in sight. I went and paid for the things I had picked out earlier that day, and then Victor and I stopped by a free concert right by my house. The bus system put it on. The music was just ok, so we didn´t stay long. Then I made a few calls to see if I could still get a ticket to go with my friends to the Carnaval next weekend and apparently I could. Victor had a meeting the next morning in Málaga and we decided to go there for the weekend. So Victor worked on his project for his meeting the next day, we packed, ate dinner, ate the rest of the entire pan of brownies because nobody had eaten A SINGLE ONE!! I was so upset that I wasted both brownie mixes on my stupid roommates, but at least Victor and I and Michelle enjoyed them. When we finally got everything ready, we left, drove for an hour or so, got to Málaga and said goodnight.

Saturday while Victor was at his meeting, I went running, got lost, and then showered in their disgusting boy shower. Not willing to use that for the rest of the weekend I cleaned their bathroom and Victor´s room. Filth is no fun. Then Victor got back and we went grocery shopping for the weekend and then went to the beach. It was beautiful weather in Málaga and since niether of us know it that well, it was like being on vacation! Discovering a new place, amazing weather, the beach, etc. We went to this beach Victor´s friend Ignacio from work reccommend we go to and eat at and walk around. We started walking, but apparently in the wrong direction because the area we walked into got progressively more ghetto. We stopped by a market and then turned around and started looking for the area we were originally trying to get to. We finally found it and scored a terrace table at the resturant Ignacio recommend we go to as well. The food was amazing, delicious and the fish was cooked on an open fire in a bbq/grill in a boat on the beach. It was a really nice, relaxing experience and I kept thinking how all my family members who like seafood and fish would have loved the shrimp, calamari, octopus, sardines and salad we ordered. The bill was a little more than we expected but well worth Victor´s money in my opinion. ; ) Then we walked around some more, drove to the center and shopped a bit, went home took a nap, and then went to this mall thing, shopped around some more, got some tapas, and then saw the Oxford Crimes at the movies. It was good but hard for me to understand in Spanish. Too much thinking. That was it for Saturday.

Sunday after sleeping in, I watched tv in the living room and waited for Victor to wake up. Then we had breakfast and then went back to the beach to fly a kite that Raúl had given Victor. There wasn´t very much wind, and it was more complicated than we expected so we gave up on the kite idea and just walked around, had a drink in this little beachy resturant thing and went home. We made my mommy´s award winning Shrimp and Mandarins Over Pasta with special pasta Victor had brought from Italy and I was pretty pleased with the results. I did the best I could finding all the ingredients and my first Spanish version turned out pretty well! Then nap, and back out in the evening to walk around the center. They don´t realy have a big Carnaval in Málaga and just as we were getting there, things were ending. So we kinda missed that but oh well. Then after a walk around, we went back home and watched tv, I made a little dinner, talked to my grandparents and then bed.

Monday morning we left early, Victor for the airport, and me for the bus station. The taxi ride to the bus station cost 1€ less than my bus ticket from Málaga to Granada. Emilio picked me up at the bus station, took me home and I had breakfast, cleaned the house, took a shower, ate lunch with Pepa and Emlio. She was fixing homemade chorizo so I couldn´t say no. :) For some reason I was really exhausted so I took a nap and went to work. Then I went and bought my ticket to the Carnaval and then to work to prepare. Then I came home and practiced guitar and Nacho and Alicia cancelled class on me. I dunno what I did the rest of the night but I think it included going to be early. Rosa was back , she was studying a lot for her tests that week but Zore had stayed in Águilas for Monday of the Carnaval.

Tuesday I went running in the morning, guitar and then at home and tidied up and got things done. I spent some time on the balcony preparing for my private classes and working on my paper journal. I also went to borrow the computer, but Emilio was using it, and I got invited to another lunch I couldn´t refuse. So after I bit I went down and used the computer and had lunch and used the computer some more and then went to work. It went ok. The kids still are dissapointed when I´m there each week instead of their old teacher Nikki. Teaching is definitely not my calling. Then I rushed to work with Carlos and Marta only to find Carlos sick with a fever and sore throat, and Marta not there and not answering her cell phone. So I waited around with Carlos and watched cartoons and played with their really cute dog, Tosca. Then Marta finally got there and we had class and they paid me the same as always. So I finished early and went home and wrote some postcards and stuff about which Rosa made a comment. Apparently she doesn´t understand that I don´t see my family and friends every weekend. Then I went to bed.

Wednesday, work in the morning. Nothing particularly stirking, then stopped by the bank to cash my check, home, lunch, and Fama. For lunch I had some yummy asian noodles that my aunt sent me with some pork I added! yay! I had the afternoon free because Conchi and Valentina had cancelled on me as well and I went out to go shopping and run errands. I was out most of the evening, came home, went running, ate dinner, watched tv, wrote more postcards and went to bed. I really can´t remember anythhing else.

Thursday I woke up early, packed a lunch and went to the bank to deposit the cash, and went to work. Work didn´t go really great, but I got done an hour early. Michelle and I had made plans to go to El Mirador de San Nicolas with out packed lunches so we spent lunchtime and a good chunk of the afternoon there, people watching, eating, chatting, and soaking up the sun. It was really relaxing and nice but also made me really tired. I came home and since i didn´t have any time to practice guitar the day before and stuff to do, I called Antonio and told him I couldn´t come. I was just too tired and embarassed. He was so sweet though and offered to make the class up Saturday, which I couldn´t do. I felt bad all over. Bad for not practicing, and then bad for not going. Guitar New Year´s Resolution is not going to well either. But I went to the post office and then running and met up with the girls who I am going to Carnaval with to go costume shopping, again. Our group that is going is Michelle, Jenna, Samar, me and this guy Brad. The obvious group costume for 1 guy and 4 girls is of course, you guessed it, Hugh Heffner and playboy bunnies. I was really excited. For those of you who know me, you can hear my voice dripping with sarcasam as I say that because a playboy bunnie is the last thing I would ever choose to dress up as. But in an effort to make friends, bond and be a part of a group I went along with the idea. At least I´m fortunate enough that we are going as fully clothed bunnies in jeans and matching jackets, so don´t worry all my family members reading this. So Thursday night, we met and go shopping, we buy hideous blonde wigs for 6€ and at out last stop find 4 matching bright blue velour track suits that I think my friend Sara would be proud of for only 10€. Too bad I´ll never wear it again! Then Samar had to leave, but Jenna, Michelle and I got tapas and then went home. I was so pooped and just wanted to go to bed, but when I got home, my roommates were having another friggin dinner party. Raquel and her horrible sister were there and the 2 guys David and Manu who I actually liked, and this other guy. But they were waiting on Manu who I met at the door, and so started to eat almost as I got there. As I had already eaten and our table is too small for 7 let alone 8 people I said not to worry that I would just sit and watch tv. Thankfully my sister called me so I could leave and have something to do for a while, and its always amazing to talk to my sister, I miss her soooooo much!! But our conversation was too short, and so I read some stuff for class the next day. Then I could hear that they were all done with dinner and was going to force myself to go out of my room and be social but when I got to the living room, I could see thru the closed, frosted glass door that they were still sitting around the table! I didn´t know what to do, because the only place for me to sit would be on the couch and still be ignored. So I hid in my room for a bit more, and then worked up my courage and went in. I sat on the sofa and listened to their stories, mostly got ignored for about an hour and then went to bed. It is so hard living in my house.

Today, I woke up, got ready and went to work. I got there about 1 minute before the bell rang because I was so late and I was really nervous the whole way there. Then I had another horrible day at work and the kids almost made me cry again. It really ruined my whole day. The only good thing was that I got to leave an hour early again. Then I came home, started making lunch, stopped by Pepa´s for fabric softener, talked on the phone to my dad, finished and ate lunch, watched Fama, and went to work. On the way there they called and cancelled on me. Thankfully I had just left, but that brought my total number of private classes for the week to 1 and left me about 50€ short. So I came back home, finished watching Fama, went to Pepas visited with her and Abuela for a bit, brought up the computer, started blogging went back down to Pepa´s where she tried to get me to stay and keep her company because she was alone and bored, so I stayed for a bit and then came back upstairs and visited with Adri and his friend Luis for a bit. I think Luis is a little arrogant but oh well. Then I started blogging again, talked on the phone to my mom for a bit and have been here ever since. I think I am going to go running now, and then not leave my hosue again.

Tomorrow for the Carnaval the bus leaves Granada at 11 and I want to go running before, we´ll be in the bus for about 5 hours and then Cádiz untill the bus leaves again at 7 AM Sunday morning. I hope its fun and that my cold I still have doesn´t turn into deadly pnemonia and I think that´s all I have to say about the last 2 weeks.