La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
THE KID BROTHER’S SOFTBALL SHIRTS arrived in 4 days. I could have paid nearly $30 to have them delivered in a week. I chose to pay the minimum, $8, to have them delivered in two weeks. Softball season doesn’t start until April (if it starts at all again this year). The Kid Brother’s reaction to the early arrival? “Why are they here now?!? So soon?” “You’re welcome,” I replied.
Thanks to this latest medication transition, I’ve been crashing hard. Thanks to exceptional friends and priceless San Geraldo, I’m making it through. We had lunch Wednesday at Mesón Salvador with our wonderful friend Alyson (of Nick and) who is here from Colchester (she’s queen of the castle there) visiting her parents at their holiday rental. We hadn’t seen each other since just before the pandemic began. If we hugged any closer we would have gone right through each other.
Yesterday evening, I had my weekly video chat with Susan in Oregon, which always lifts me up. Rolling right into dinner out with Tynan, Elena, Isa, and Paula, and I was actually smiling and laughing for a few hours.
Today’s photos are just some random shots of my train trip to and from Málaga Tuesday, a flower kiosk, the public market, and my two-empanada lunch at La Canasta (which means “the basket”). More shots of the beautiful city to come.
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LAS CAMISETAS DE SOFTBOL DE El Hermanito llegaron en 4 días. Podría haber pagado casi $30 para que me los entregaran en una semana. Elegí pagar el mínimo, $8, para que me los entregaran en dos semanas. La temporada de softbol no comienza hasta abril (si es que comienza de nuevo este año). ¿La reacción de El Hermanito a la llegada anticipada? “¿¡¿Por qué están aquí ahora?!? ¿Muy pronto?) “De nada”, respondí.
Gracias a esta última transición de medicamentos, me he estado hundiendo mucho. Gracias a amigos excepcionales y al invaluable San Geraldo, lo estoy logrando. Almorzamos el miércoles en Mesón Salvador con nuestra maravillosa amiga Alyson (esposa de Nick) que está aquí desde Colchester (ella es la reina del castillo) visitando a sus padres en su casa de vacaciones. No nos habíamos visto desde justo antes de que comenzara la pandemia. Si nos hubiésemos abrazado más cerca, nos habríamos atravesado.
Ayer por la tarde, tuve mi video chat semanal con Susan en Oregón, lo que siempre me levanta el ánimo. Llegando a la cena con Tynan, Elena, Isa y Paula, estuve sonriendo y riéndome durante unas horas.
Las fotos de hoy son solo algunas tomas aleatorias de mi viaje en tren desde y hacia Málaga el martes, un quiosco de flores, el mercado público y mi almuerzo de dos empanadas en La Canasta. Más fotos de la hermosa ciudad por venir.
• Montaje de la Plaza de la Constitución para el Carnaval.
Better early than late on the delivery. Such a pretty place and trains!
David:
Explain the good delivery karma to The Kid Brother! The trains here are a huge plus. Clean, convenient. As you can see, even the elevated sections are beautiful and beautifully landscaped.
I’m sorry, but the Kid brother cracks me up.
Good having friends and family help you through the dark times, I’m sure it helps.
Lastly, thanks again for the food porn.
Bob:
Chuck cracks me up, too. Saturday evening was so good. Good friends DO help. A few hours of happy have been hard to come by.
KB strikes again! LOVE IT!
I want to thank you for being so candid about your journey with depression, Mitch. I was brought up to never mention or acknowledge it especially around my mother who was bi-polar. You have helped to take away the stigma that is still dominant in our society about mental illness. You are a brave, inspirational and caring man.
Your photos really give us a picture of the vibrancy of your city.
Jim:
Oh, Chuck can always be counted on. Depression like mine was completely ignored throughout my childhood. But I think it ran through the family. Thanks for your kind words!
Los Boliches – the station on stilts! We stayed at Apartamentos Ronda 4 once, so know it well.
Malaga is a beautiful city. We hope to get back there again this year; possibly in May (flight prices permitting!). Jx
Jon:
You really know you were around here. And have probably seen more changes than we have in our time here. I love Málaga. Hope the prices in May are what you want. A great time to be here.
It’s good that you have such wonderful and loving friends – and SG! – to get you through the transition.
Great photos, the flowers are an even brighter spot in a lovely place.
Wilma:
It was a very special week with friends and I’m so grateful. The main boulevard through Málaga is lined with those flower kiosks. It’s glorious.
Hang in there during the medication transition. It will pass, as you know. Sending you a virtual hug, my friend.
Jennifer:
I don’t want to speak too soon… however, I seem to be doing a lot better this morning. Yesterday was a truly rough day. We’ll see. Thanks for the hug!
Great to hear that the books have arrived! Wow! I really do want to know more about this. I know that it’s about SG’s family’s history, but tell us more about the structure and the style of the book. Please! 🙂
Here’s to good friends and fast deliveries bringing out the best in your modern medicine experience 🙂
Judy C:
I’m waiting for a “good light” day to photograph the book on the terrace. It’s been dreary. I’ll write about it when I share some photos. And, yes, here’s to good friends and kind, understanding people like you.
Love the flowers! Love Chuck! Love you and SG! Love to use exclamation points! Sending hugs to pile on to SG’s to help you through your transition, Scoot. You’ll survive the crash.
Deedles:
Yesterday was rough. Today so far I feel better than I have. I don’t expect it will last all day, but it’s an improvement. I’m sure it’s your hugs!
I hope the rocky meditation transition does not last too long and that you will feel better again soon. Speaking of Canasta, My Rare One and I have been playing that card game this week. I won one game by 5,000 points — how sweet it is!
Debra:
I have never played Canasta. Do you play for cash? SG would have declared it a dollar a point. The doctor said this first medication could begin to show its effects quickly. So I’m hopeful. Right now, I’m better than I’ve been at the start of a recent day. Here’s hoping. Thanks again for that great uplift yesterday of being your first ever Post of the Week! I love it!
We never play for money. Well, except when we play Rumoli, where you have to bid pennies every round for each card combo category. My Rare One keeps a stash of pennies on hand for that sole purpose, so really we just “recycle” the pennies. Canada doesn’t even make pennies anymore, so they’re getting to be vintage collectibles now, LOL!
Debra She Who Seeks:
I don’t know why the USA still makes pennies. Spain has 1 and 2 centimo coins that I can’t be bothered using. They fill a bowl until our neighbors take them to their church charity box (which doesn’t mind them at all).
As Bette Davis once said, “Fasten your seatbelts…it’s gonna be a bumpy night!” — I do hope you feel better soon. In the meantime, congratulations to you on your Blog Post Of The Week for “Dick Waffles”… a well-deserved win!!
Tundra Bunny:
Given Debra She Who Seeks’ wit and smarts, I was really honored to be selected. Thanks. Things MIGHT already be improving here.
I’ve booked myself a trip to Sitges in June
Do u two ever visit ?
John:
We’ve never been up that way, but have wanted to. Maybe June will be a good time and we can meet for a drink! I’ll start talking to SG.
I hope your medication will work as well as mine does. Meds coupled with a decent job have me feeling the best I’ve been in many years.
Love,
Janie
janiejunebug:
I am so glad you’re enjoying the job! Going through depressions during bad job situations … what a nightmare.
It really is a different world there in your corner of Spain. Beautiful place.
Frank:
I sometimes forget how different life is here. It’s home.
To live in a lovely place; this must do well on the mentality and general wellbeing of the community .
Urspo:
Sadly, there are always the realities of family, work, money, and everything else that overshadow the lovely place for so many people. Still, it’s a lot better than living in a not-lovely place!
You are close to Malaga then, if you can take a short train ride. Hope that with the nice Spring weather your mood improves. The kid brother cracks me up, at least he knows what he wants.
larrymuffin:
We’re in Málaga Province and very close to Málaga Capital. A 20-minute drive to the center or 42 minutes on the train. Before the pandemic, I was in the city regularly. The Kid Brother is a laugh riot.
So all those years I was playing “basket” without knowing it?
Walt the Fourth:
Did you play Canasta for the Albany Great Danes?
Your pictures always make me long for warm weather and travel. I am sorry your meds are hitting you so hard. I get it. :-/
Sassybear:
Thanks. Yesterday was rough. Today has been much improved. The doctor said I should notice the new meds quickly. Maybe they’re already compensating for dropping off one of the old ones. We have more than 300 days of sunshine a year. One day without sun is a novelty. Two days and we’re whining. (We are currently whining.)
So sorry you’ve been crashing but let’s hope the medication evens things out sooner rather than later. I love the shot of the flower market. And I never knew that “canasta” meant “basket.” So the card game is called “basket”? Why?
Steve:
Thanks. I haven’t crashed at all today. A better day than I’ve had in quite some time.
Wish the light had been better at the time I was on the boulevard lined with trees and flower markets. But you got the idea.
Here’s a link to the story of canasta: http://www.thegamesjournal.com/articles/Canasta.shtml.
And an exerpt about the name if you don’t feel like reading the article:
“Santos had merely referred to it as “The Game.” But now, while sitting in a restaurant at their “play-test” table, he noticed the small wicker basket they had borrowed from a waiter to store their cards. “Canastillo,” Santos replied matter-of-factly, which in Spanish means “little basket.” A bit later, someone suggested shortening it to “Canasta” (“basket”). This name was easy to say, and had a nice ring to it, thanks to its repeating a’s (comparable to the repeating o’s in Monopoly). The name stuck.”