Sweatpants, board games, and Percocet...

...pretty much sums up my 3 weeks at home, and let me tell you...they were AWESOME.  I want to send a big thank you to everyone who took care of me after having my germ balls amputated (tonsillectomy)!  All I can say is I have some great friends and family who deserve a lot more than a thank you for everything they did...for the Frosty runs...for the homemade soup.....for waking up every few hours to feed me Percocet and applesauce....for bringing me ice, and then tea, and then ice again....for playing games and hanging out with me while I complained...for coming over to visit even when the weather was crap....and for not letting me drink alcohol while on painkillers, I APPRECIATE YOU.

Despite the medical issues, still managed to have a great time back in the states enjoying things that I don't have access to here in Spain, such as: people I love, Cleveland sports, large quantities of BBQ sauce, an oven, heated living space, Target, 8000oz draft beers, a quality bathrobe, cats that aren't homeless, a clothes dryer (drier? Hi, I'm an English teacher.), and my car.

First thing I heard upon entering JFK, in line at the Passport Control: "Goddamn it, that goddamn foreigner line is twice as short as ours, they don' even haveta wait!  Why can't we go in their line? What's happening to this goddamn country!?"  All I could do was smile and be comforted in knowing that my plane had landed in the right place.  Which, by the way, almost didn't happen since we ran out of gas and made an emergency pit stop at a military base in Maine.  Thanks for the memories, American Airlines.  Joder.

Now that I'm back in Spain and blogging again for no good reason (hope my adopted Asian grandchildren enjoy this someday!), I think it's time to fill you readers in on what's been happening!  All 2 of you!

1.  Remember grumpy old toothless neighbor man who turned into nice old toothless neighbor man who now acknowledges my presence sometimes?  Well, I named him Brian.  And we're secretly best friends.  He wears Bill Cosby sweaters everyday...I may buy him a new one for Valentine's Day, we'll see how things go.  Here's Bill Cosby impersonating Brian's toothless perma-frown:

I just realized this is probably only funny to me.  Oh well, welcome to the internet.  I am the 99%.


2.  BARCELONA.  You know how sometimes people build things up too much and then they turn out to be not that awesome?  Like the movie Insidious?  Well, Barcelona wasn't like that at all.  In fact, it exceeded my already outlandish expectations and is now one of my favorite places (sorry, Algeciras, you didn't make the cut...or even the top 100).

Here are some highlights:

Our hostel had a great view of Barcelona's manliest building

The port

Cooking class...you throw that rice, Fernando

The best paella on the planet

GAUDI GAUDI GAUDI!

Sagrada Familia 

New friends!  Some of whom shoot kangaroos on the regular (you know who you are)

Not really "in" Barcelona...but closeby: the Dalí Museum

So that's our Barcelona weekend in a few photos...we were also there for the post-game celebration (riot?) after Barcelona beat Madrid.  Needless to say my photos of that didn't turn out very clearly.

3. Planning our next trip!  In Februray for Semana Blanca (a week that is somehow important in the Catholic world...aka a week off of work) we are heading to GERMANY!  and the CZECH REPUBLIC!  Yes.

4. Just found out that Paula Deen has diabetes...big sad face, no surprised face.  Does this mean I really can't put an extra stick of butter in everything?  Good thing that here in Spain everything is only deep fried in oil, what a relief. 

Have a great week and eat healthy ya'll!