The misterious case of Popeye and the Thing

What a great weekend... huh.

A W E S O M E

It all started at 4pm on friday. I'm out of work early yay! sure... Out of work early to get my newly acquired allergy vaccine. And that's when it all started to go wrong.

I had to spend two hours in the doctor just in case I had an anaphylactic shock, which (thankfully) didn't happen, so I went home and started planning the weekend.

Then... then my arms, specially the left started to get itchy, and when I looked I had a 3cm diameter bump in my arm. Ok, don't panic M, this is normal, isn't it? I tried to call the doctor a million times but it seems normal people don't work later than 7pm on a friday.

I call my allergy personal advisor (ie my cousin) and she tells me not to worry, that sometimes it gets a little bumpy and red on the zone where you get vaccinated. So I relax and go out for dinner and drink with my friends, and try to cope with the itchiness and pain as best as I can.

Back home and off to bed only to wake up with two very painful arms that look like... OMG, my arms look like Popeye's. Only they are also red and itchy and they start to hurt.

And then I panic.

Nice begining of the afternoon in ER.

It seems I am allergic to my allergy vaccine, that has to be some kind of joke, right?

My mom got the brilliant idea of drawing a circle around the bump, to see if it keeps growing. Well, sunday morning and... it keeps growing, so from Popeye's arm I have gone to the Thing's arm. Really nice, not itchy or painful at all. Besides, as the bump in my left arm grows so do the circles around it so I have not only the Thing's arm but also a very very nice and fashionable dartboard tattoo.

Yay!

What a great weekend.

Such is life...

Glory! (a.k.a. my feet are famous)

We all deserve our minute of glory, I thought I got mine some years ago, summer 2007, but last Monday my feet got their own moment of glory.

I spent the morning shopping with my mom, and by chance we came across a spa (http://www.micalleny.com), awesome place, where a thousand tiny fish give you an amazing massage for thirty minutes.

While in there, a man and a woman walk in, they tell us they work for a local online newspaper and that they would like to take some shots of our feet for friday's newspaper.

Ok, let's be honest, my feet may be some of the ugliest feet ON EARTH, luckily I had done my nails on Sunday, cause otherwise it would have been a total catastrophe. It didn't help that I was wearing red shoes that day, I can see some shades of red in my heels on the video.

So now, as I know you are all bitting your nails to see them, may I present: my feet (the ones on the right of the picture, those who wiggle in the video, yeah, they have a knack for the spotlight...)

http://www.madridiario.es/2010/Septiembre/madrid/sociedad/191557/peces-garra-rufa-peeling-spa-tratamiento.html02

Aaaaand... Such is life!

9 crimes

Funny how the google add that pops up when you watch Damien Rice 9 crimes official video on Youtube reads "find out the date of your death", ooooook, so the guy writes some very depressing songs, but that is just plain scary.

I learnt in one of my classes at Penn how Google Adds is dangerous thing, something close to a public enemy according to my teacher, but this just seemed too obvious. Seems Damien Rice is aimed at scary death obsessed people for the Google guys.

That is sick.

Ohhhh random stories, how I love them, how I missed them actually.

You see? I used to have a blog.

I used to post some random and unimportant stuff every once in a while, at least once a month, sometimes twice.

I used to do this, I used to do that... and I love complaining.

It's been a long while since I last posted something here, I have no excuse for being so negligent with this site very few people read and even less care about, but this blog used to make me happy, and I used to find the stupidest things to write about... and I am determined to go back to my good habits.

Seems I got busy on the way, and I apologise, not to any of you, but to myself actually.

Sometimes we have to go back to move forward. Such is life.

SSS (i.e. Some sis stuff)

"If I had a small piece of land (in Spanish "Terrenito" for those who can catch the hilarity in the word) I would plant my own tomatoes"

M's sister

Only she hates tomatoes...

Following My sister, the online phenomenon, here some little extra insight on said phenomenon.

After making a surprisingly punctual return from Ireland a couple of weeks ago I came to realise my sister is addicted to planting things.

In the last couple of years she has managed to buy/be given the most odd sets of seeds. I have to admit I tend to indulge her planting habits, but all in all, she is always planning what to grow in the few pots we have at home that are not filled with my mom's flowers (must run in our genes, I guess).

At least we are lucky, and most of the things she plants don't even see the light, otherwise my balcony would be full of:

- Giant pumkins (no kidding).
- Cherry tomatoes
- Hundreds of tulips, and...

... The Hanging Gardens of Babylon (or so said the box).

The lack of land has made her look for alternatives, and smaller plants, thankfully. After buying seeds in a match box (that actually had the seeds stuck to actual matches), the last thing she got was a can, the size of one of those airplane cans that are so cute, painted in light blue with golden letters in which you can read:

"Grow your own luck"

You just have to guess what's in it.

And now I'll just press "publish post" cause she has been pretty intense about how much she wants to read her latest blog post.

Here you go, sis, you can keep sleeping on the couch, I'lll stay awake a little while longer, as the song says, it's hard to say I'd rather stay awake when I'm asleep... but you know these things tend to happen at some point in your work life. Damn it! my sleep schemes are totally changed... Such is life!

How did this happen?

How did this happen?

Let's be honest, I am (almost) an adult with some (not many, but some) responsibilities, so how is it possible that I find myself organizing my life and leisure around some virtual crops?

Yeah, you guessed, this post is all about Farmville.

That silly little game has such a powerful aura that you find yourself, most unconciously planning your life around your planting schedule. Sad but true... when you enter the Farmville universe you discover you are capable of constructing sentences such as: "great, I can meet you just after harvesting my crops" or "shit! my crops are going to whither..." or, my favourite "why did I ever plant this if I am not going to make it in time to harvest?"

Why all this crap now?

Simple answer, last night I found myself postponing watching one of my favourite TV shows just because I had to harvest, and, hell, why did I ever decide it would be a good idea to have a 24x24 farm? Aggghhhh... Thank God I have a harvester, a tractor and a seeder, otherwise I would be spending a great deal of time working on my farm. Am I insane? Yeap! seems I am, or else I wouldn't be staying awake only to be able harvest my silly (not so) little farm. I am lucky though and have been blessed with a steward (or sister :P) that takes prodigious care of my crops.

Farmville is a curse that threatens to mess up your life. Your friends are sick of you inviting them to Farmville, your farmville friends quit little by little, and there are times when you yourself are about to quit and then... then the Farmville meanies decide to invent something that will keep you addicted to the game for at least another two months... for instance, since the start of the year I have collected christmas gifts, valentine gifts, Saint Patrick's coins, Easter Eggs... I have built a horse stable, a french farm house, I have started co-op farming and I am dreading what will be next, but at the same time feel oddly curious.

Farmville has it's qualities though, mainly contributing to the internationalisation of all kinds of local celebratrions and popular folklore. No kidding, ever since I started planting I have celebrated the Super Bowl, Christmas, Saint Valentine, the Chinese new year, Mardi Gras (all previous three in the same weekend), Saint Patrick, Easter, and whatever stupid celebration imaginable. Ha.

As I have said, Farmville is a curse, a curse or an addiction, that no matter how busy your life is, always finds a way to crawl in your daily routine. When playing Farmville, one goes through some very common phases that range from anger to pride in a few moments:
1.- Why did I ever started playing this game?
2.- Ok, so I can't stop playing, but why on earth did I decide to expand my farm not once but 4 times????
3.- I hate harvesting, but plowing is even worse!
4.- My farm is not economically viable, why did I want to have a pretty farm when I could have an efficient farm?
5.- Please please, don't make me harvest any more.
6.- I am quitting... wait, is that a new collectable?

Then there are those who are way above the rest of us mortals... those are my favourite Farmaddicts... the members of the group "Farmville: Unlock Industrial Plantation 66x66". Seriously? Why would anyone want to decidedly inflict such torture to one self?????

And just when I thought they couldn't invent anything stupider, my steward informed me of the latest Farmville absurdity: Double Avatar Size... Why? again why? still the spark is lit and I am sure sooner or later I will complain just like the rest... "It is giagantic" or "totally useless, I want my normal avatar back". Aahhh the beauty of this double edged sword that Farmville is, you love it and hate it at the same time!

Anyhow... as much as I complain, here I am, waiting for my crops to grow so that I can finally go to bed and go back to my normal life tomorrow after 10 days of holidays.

Truths universally acknowledged...

I once read it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in posession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife, well that was the XIX century, 200 hundred years later, truths have changed, but are still universal. And I am going to prove my point:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the higher the heels are the prettier (and the more painful in a please-I'd-rather-have-my-feet-cut-off way).

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the more you try to arrive on time the later you are, and it is never your fault.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the night you say you just go out to dinner and a drink you never get back home earlier than 7am.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when your computer dies you feel as if your dog did.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that if a guy doesn't call you, the only reason behind it is he doesn't like you (not that he is shy, or afraid of your brains, or unsure of your feelings or any other he-is-not-that-into-you excuse).

It is a truth universally acknowledged that you only need your Bb and a bus ride to come up with a silly blog post...

Now I challenge anyone in the world to refute any of these truths. Volunteers?

Of course I speak out of mere observation and not experience... Such is Life.

The end of the Decade

Hey guys, it's the end of the decade... decade!!! Ten years have passed and I don't think anyone of us realises just how much we have changed. I for one have spent the last ten years getting ready for the next ten, and the trip has been real fun... But enough of this "I am getting old" stuff.

As you all now the year is almost over and I feel compelled to write my now declared traditional end-of-the-year-happy-new-year post. I hope you all spend the next 525.600 minutes in the best way, and that 2010 is just as good as you want it to be.

Looking back, 2009 may have been one of the most decisive years in my life. Studies over, the start of my work life and the end of those good times in which you had 3 months of holidays in the summer. I have to admit to you and myself that I have not been at my best, that sometimes I have tried people's patience with my whinning and complaining, more this year than the years before, and for that I have to send a huge thanks to all those that have suffered me. Starting with my family, specially my bro (yeah, you all know my bro is a sister, but she is my bro), who may be the only member in my family to read this! Then of course my friends, my closest and best of best friends, who are always there for me no matter where we are or who is our boss.

2009 was awesome despite all the drama I've thrown into it. 2009 was Brussels and Croatia and Slovenia, and Prague and Seville, the ever fun Seville... 2009 was the last summer of iddleness and three months without my bro that clashed with the begining of my days as a lawyer... fun and confusing. 2009 has been this blog, with its few faithful readers and some others that drop by from time to time. 2009 has been the TURNING POINT. I think I am ready for the next decade with its own turning points included.

I can't finish this without making some particular aknowledgements... I want to wish the best of the years to all of you, my friends and not so close friends, friends of friends, friend's families and anyone with whom I have exchanged a few words this year (boss included ha!), but specially to these amazing people: Pau, Flagüer, Dul, Ale, Sity, Mary, Claire (no better way to start the year than with you!!) María (my newest friend and Bb partner), María (as always my oldest friend), Inés (for being strong with me), Ana, Inés, Álvaro, Juan... Marielle, Lorraine, Cathaye (we have plans in the next decade girls!!), to all my friends overseas, Sebastian for all you Like clicks, Matias and your plans to come over, to all those I have met in the last few months, those I haven't seen in months. To my ever present and sweet Ro, to all those I have meant to text but never have. To everyone and anyone... HAPPY 2010.

And here it is for one last time this year... Such is Life!