The referee's a ****** (but the linesman is OK)

I'm sore all over. I think it's been a few years since I kicked a football and a couple more since I played an actual game of football--about 15 years or so now. But I don't remember hurting like this after playing under-12 games. Although I think the last time my upper body hurt like this was probably when I first played Wii Sports.

It all started when I was watching the football on Saturday, the Liverpool derby for those interested, I support neither. While I was there one of the lads turned and asked me if I played much sport and I asked why and he told me that they have regular football games in a mini league for ex-pats.
It felt good being invited to go the games. One of the biggest things that's taken it's time since I moved to Spain is making friends. The main problem is that a majority of people who come here leave after two weeks vacation. So after being invited to watch the football I was now being invited to go the football too.
After that little monologue ran through my head in the the space of two-seconds my friend turns to me and says "Yeah, we need a linesman. You know the rules of football? Obviously!"
"Yeah" I replied, slightly taken back by this new twist.

So there it was settled. I was now part of the Sunday Nerja football league. In a slightly different role as I had imagined but at least this gets me out of the house at the weekend. And I make €10 per game. And I meet lots of new faces and it gives me a run around for 90's minutes, which will be the most amount of exercise--excluding Wii Fit--I've done in a long time. Plus it's just a good feling having something to do of a weekend, rather then staying in.
Oh and everyone goes the pub afterwards for drinks and free sandwiches/snacks.

I had my first game yesterday. I wore all black but it turns out one of the teams did too so I had to make a quick wardrobe change to a bright yellow vest. I was surprised at the pitch as well. They had some decent stands with seating for a hundred or so people, I think the local football team play here too so I might try and catch their games.
But overall I had quite a good time being a linesman

Then I seen some of the guys who I watch the football with and their team looked pretty short. Like 7 players short. While I was sat on the bench I was asked if I didn't mind playing just to give the people that did turn up a chance of a game. So of course I said yes.
I think we lost something like 8-2 in the end. I might of been at fault for 3 goals but in my defence at times it did feel like I was the only defender trying to stop the other teams whole attack. Plus our goalkeeper had this way of kicking the ball straight to one of their players after each attack which meant I hardly got chance to have a breather and rest during the game as I was continually defending through out the game.
And for someone whose main fitness technique this year has been from Wii Fit I was very unfit after running about the pitch for 90 minutes.

But today I can feel every kick of the ball, hit I took and every tumble and fall to the ground still. I ache all over.

But next time I might just try and keep my participation down to flagging for throw-ins and eating as many ham sandwiches as I can.

One trip too many

I have my family visiting next week. I'm looking forward to it, it's been a while since I've ate out in restaurants or had a few quiet drinks over tapas so it's good to have a reason.

I received an email off my sister asking if I could give her details on where they were staying so she could show my niece a map of how to get from their rental to my house.
After a few set backs with the details in the email I was able to finally locate where they were staying and got a map sorted out.

Now everything below HAS NOT been modified in any way. I haven't tried to change the direction of instructions given by Google, you know how you can "Add a destination" to Google directions.
I've just asked for the quickest directions from "Calle de Lucena, 29780, Nerja, Spain"--holiday rental--to "Calle de Canarjas"--my house. You can check it out for yourself.
Here is what comes up.


View Larger Map

Now the bit I am interested in is the bit just next to my house.

That's a strange direction.

Now this bit is the EXACT same bit that I jumped from 6 months ago on the second day we lived here. And we know what happened then! I bashed and bruised my foot and had major problems walking for weeks afterwards.

Now I'm not falling for this trick. I know that it's dangerous taking that route. And I think I'll be making sure to stop my niece from going that way too.

But my foot is good now.

Back to school

Tomorrow I go back to school. I'm a little nervous about it all but it is FREE Spanish language lessons so I thought it could really help me out.

Or at least I think I've joined a Spanish course.

They are one hour weekly--or bi-weekly--courses and when I went to sign up last week no one at the school spoke English. So in my very broken Spanish I was able to sign up to some course. Although I cannot confirm 100% that the course is for Spanish lessons. Although my first one is tomorrow so I will find out pretty soon.

I've not been to the stationery shop for pens and notebooks and I've not got my school uniform-although it would be good for me not to be wearing too many different fancy dress outfits in such a short time.

But it will be good for me to get back in to my Spanish lessons by taking actual Spanish classes and using the Spanish I have learnt-mostly I just learn phrases and never use them-plus it will get me out of the house which is nice.

Anyway I am a little nervous, I hope everyone likes me and that no one tries to take me lunch money.

Dedication is what you need

I found this photo on my computer the other day.

I had left to go pick up the missus from work. I was a tad too early so headed down to the Balcon to kill some time. I spotted this kid digging a hole.

Now most children will dig a small hole, big enough to fill up a few sandcastles, this kid on the other hand had his mind set that he was going one step beyond.

You may need to click for bigger image

There haven't been that many kids with this kind of dedication--or patience. I mean he is shoulder deep in a hole. I wish there where more kids like this. Digging GIANT holes is what the beach is for.

That and donkey races.

Untitled Song

Happy Monday Morning World!


Catchy little song!

I wonder what the lizards do?

So last night we had a MAJOR thunderstorm. Just a few days after complaining whether or not it had rained in the night, last night/this morning it definitely had.

I was woken up quite a few times last night hearing thunder. After about the 3rd or 4th time over what felt like 30 or 40 minutes I decided to have a little look outside. I opened the blinds in the bedroom and although they face a hill the sky immediately lit up up bright electric blue constantly for about 30 seconds.
As I'm very excited about all things natural I couldn't resist and had to run in to the living room to get a better view from their.

Now the view from our window should be the beach. Unfortunately, like a bad experience of having a fecking tall man in a tall hat sit right in front of you at the cinema, we have a apartment block right in front of us. But there was still plenty of sky in view. So I dusted of the camera and recorded for a few minutes.

Now these thunderstorms, I learnt last night, aren't the kind of thunderstorms you get in the UK. You know the ones that last for 10 minutes or so. The thunderstorms here come from Africa and last for over an hour.
And it's not like you have one strike of thunder and then wait for 10 minutes, here it's like a giant faulty neon light down a dark alley. I think I might of actually saw more flashes of thunder last night then I have for my previous years.

This was taken about 5am. There is a little commentary. But here is what I caught in those few minutes.

For those that like to skip to the action, I recommend hitting the 3:50 mark and letting it go for about 30 seconds or so.

So after watching for about 40 minutes I headed back to bed. My eyes feeling so heavy and closing that it felt like my forehead was trying to make a fist.
Some thunder could still be heard in the distance that kept me smiling.

When I woke up this morning it was still raining.

Proof

But by time I was due to walk the missus to work it had stopped. Although there was proof. Look puddles! I haven't seen a puddle that's not been next to a pool for quite some time

Look puddles! I haven't seen a puddle that's not been next to a pool for quite some time

And I know you all know what rain clouds look like--you live in Britain--but some storm/rain clouds do look pretty when they've gone. Especially when there is clear sky behind them.

The view from outside our house.


Some menacing looking clouds above one of my favourite streets.


And this is what the back of a storm looks like in the morning.

While walking the missus to work it was still warm this morning. This evening at about 6ish the temperature at the pharmacy was reading 30c.
The weather here is taking some getting used to.

Hey there mister happy squid, you move so psychedelically

...You hypnotize with your magic dance all the animals in the sea
For sure*

The other day when snorkeling I spotted a few large goby's all hanging out together so I tried to get a photo but before I could in the corner of my eye I spotted this octopus....

"Check out my magic dance."

This is by far the bestest thing I have seen in the sea so far and probably will be very hard to beat.

Of course I couldn't just leave after one photo so I spent the next 15~20 minutes making this guy feel like a celeb.


You might be able to spot his Black Sea Urchin friend too.

There are a few things that I still would like to see in the sea. Anything with a shell, crab, lobster, etc and a sea horse.
But for now I'm made up with spotting my octopus.

My NEW Spain hobbies are so much more fun then my old English ones.

*Lyrics from Little Yellow Spider. [Video]

Lizard Spot: Home Edition

Here is a little update on Lizard Spot;

The lizard's have been pretty scaredy cats in the last few weeks.

The last Big-Proper lizard that I got close to was this one that was right outside our kitchen window

"What's cookin'"?

This has gotten me a little worried as we leave all windows open ALL the time. Even if we aren't in--as you can see there are metal security bars on the windows so we don't worry about being broken in to.
Now everytime I head in to the kitchen I always check around the top of the walls and ceiling to make sure there aren't any lizards that have set up home in out kitchen.
Up to now the coast has been clear.

Although a lot of the lizard's I have spotted other the last few weeks have all been baby ones.
Unfortunately it's hard to tell the size when they are on blank backgrounds.




Graffiti lizard


Looks like this guy has had a lucky escape




Can you spot him? (Here he is for those that can't)


"Mmmmm, something smeLLSSSS GUUUURRRRRRRDDDDD!"

I spotted this lizard while waiting for my calzone, the missus mentioned he had a wide head for a lizard. Maybe he is eating one too many calzones or pizzas.

Lizard Spot Count:32

And finally now that Spore is working properly I can get on the hunt for a Spore Lizard that I've created.


My Spore Profile

Rain dance

Just a few days after commenting on how it hadn't rained for 4 months last night it rained. On us. Well not directly on me as I was tucked up in bed.

I had been woken up a few moments earlier by a loud clap of thunder. I was very sleepy but I knew this wasn't a dream.
I forced myself to not fall asleep--although something hadn't informed my eye's as I don't recall them being open during this--as I wanted to see if this would be a cool thunderstorm.
It wasn't.
Or I fell asleep through it.
But a few moments later, I can only assume it was a few minutes my bodyclock isn't digital, I heard rain. This woke me up. Proper. I was excited. I hadn't heard rain in a long time.
I turned over to the missus to see if she could hear what I could hear but she was already awake.
Had it not been in the middle of the night I'd of gone outside to feel the rain too but this time it was just my eyes that where awake and rest of me was asleep.
Just then another clap of thunder rolled out. But again no thunderstorm and I gently went back to sleep with the sound of heavy rain pitterpattering on the palm leaves just outside my window hypnotising me.

This morning when I woke up I opened the front blinds to find this;

Take about thirsty plants!

The local gardener was watering the plants.
But it rained last night. I heard it. I'm pretty sure it did. And the missus heard it. Is this a conspiracy? Was I just dreaming?

The thing is, it might actually be "Thirsty Plants." When these plants get watered the hose there is left on them for about 3 hours. It's only a small patch of dirt with a handful of plants on--well there is now since they had a make over.

It did rain. I'm sure it did. I didn't dream it! It had to have rained!

Although I might have jumped the gun

Regarding my previous entry, I may have jumped the gun a little.

It appears, whilst most vacationers have in fact gone home, the ones that are still here are the slowest, loudest, rudest ones of them all.

Arse!

PS If you haven't already, I highly recommend downloading Googles Chrome browser. It's fast and has some great ideas behind it. [LINK]

The way things are

Things here are started to calm down a bit. It's still sunny, but no where near as hot as 1 or 2 weeks ago. We're still waiting to get our first taste of rain since MAY! There ahve been times when we have seen rain clouds....nearby ,not above where we live though, which is the closest we have come to rain.
I think once we do get a bit of rain I might have a little dance....then hurry up inside.

The vacationers are slowly going away. The centre of the town is far more quiter now. Plus I don't have to squeeze past slow walkers as I make my nightly trip to pick up the missus.
Also alot of the roads are much bearer now. There did used to be alot of cars parked anywhere at all they could find. Behind lamposts, in other peoples drive ways, under some trees but most just parked in the middle of paths. A lot of them did get toed away by the police without any notice, which I always watched with a evil smile on my face (it deserves you right pesky motorist for making me walk in the middle of a busy road).
With the streets, roads and the beach being less busy it's kind of almost got the feeling like you've just thrown a big house party and now it's time to relax and enjoy the weekend.
(Although there are some French holiday makers left -definitely the loudest ones we've had all summer- who are like that annoying person at the end of the party that no ones knows and wont go home.)

My work is starting to calm down a bit. The last few days I've had a bit of a backlog at work that I have been working my way through. Working whatever hours you want often leads to strange working hours. I was up working until 1am yesterday, although I didn't mind as I was watching the text commentary on the BBC about the last day of the football transfer (and all I learnt was this)

Although I did learn about Googles Chrome which I've been constantly refreshing the Google Blog all day to see if they have started the download.

But I'm trying to get as much work done as I can in the next few days. Luckily there isn't any decent football on this weekend, although some Pub Team is playing, but I expect I'll be doing a few more late nights until then, firstly to catch up on my work, but mainly so I can start playing Spore.

PS I've changed one or two things round on the blog. Most notable being comments. Blogger bloggers will find they will need to manually enter in details now, I'm sorry about this, although I think Blogger allows your title to act as OpenID. Also you can now score other peoples comments, reply direct to comments and a few other things. Have a look)