La versión en español está después de la versión en inglés.
As I was waking up this morning, I looked out the windows to see a vivid blue sky and brilliant sunshine. Then I opened my eyes. I had been dreaming. Still foggy, cloudy, dreary, rainy. At least the rain isn’t constant. Only a slight chance now until early evening. There is the smallest possibility of a bit of sunshine Saturday and again on the 13th. I don’t know if I can stand the excitement.
In Irvine, California, where we lived from 2009 to 2011, we called our apartment “the treehouse.” We painted some walls in accent colors to match what we saw outside. Terra cotta, palm bark, palm leaves, and eggplant (that was in the kitchen when we were deciding). When I walked into the bedroom yesterday afternoon, I noticed our walls were painted to perfectly coordinate with the color outside, as well (photo above).
San Geraldo just came into my office and said, “I want to move! Someplace sunny!” It’s hard to believe, but Córdoba is supposed to have more than 300 days of sunshine a year.
We had lunch the other day on the 6th floor of El Corte Inglés. We were there to look at televisions on the 4th floor (ours is 10 years old and less smart than we need). Then San Geraldo was going to grocery shop on the 5th floor while I wandered off to browse and then explore the city.
When I asked for the lunch bill, I was given a postage stamp–sized receipt. Great way to save paper, I thought. But then, despite the fact that I told the waiter I didn’t need a receipt, he printed one. It wasn’t the size of a postage stamp.
The waiter was pleasant but he must have been having an off day. SG ordered Coca Cola Zero Zero (no sugar, no caffeine). The waiter repeated back, “Coca Cola Zero,” (no sugar). I reiterated, “zero zero.” OK, he said. He then read back our entire order. It wasn’t difficult. We were both having the same sandwich. So, two. We were both having water. And SG was having the Coke. The waiter finished the replay with “Coca Cola Zero.” I again said, “Coca Cola Zero Zero.” The waiter said, “Ay, sí, zero zero.” He returned with two Coca Cola Zero. I told the waiter we wanted Zero Zero. I thought it would only confuse him more if I said, “And only one.” One what? One zero? The Kid Brother would have asked, “Who’s On First?”
Al despertar esta mañana, miré por la ventana y vi un cielo azul intenso y un sol radiante. Entonces abrí los ojos. Había estado soñando. Todavía estaba nublado, con niebla, lúgubre y lluvioso. Al menos no llueve constantemente. Solo hay una pequeña probabilidad hasta la tarde. Hay una mínima posibilidad de que salga un poco de sol el sábado y de nuevo el 13. No sé si aguantaré la emoción.
En Irvine, California, donde vivimos de 2009 a 2011, llamábamos a nuestro apartamento “la casa del árbol”. Pintamos algunas paredes con colores que realzaban el ambiente exterior: terracota, corteza de palma, hojas de palma y berenjena (creo que vimos una en la cocina cuando estábamos decidiendo). Cuando entré en la habitación ayer por la tarde, me di cuenta de que nuestras paredes también estaban pintadas para combinar a la perfección con el color del exterior (foto arriba).
San Geraldo acaba de entrar en mi oficina y me dijo: “¡Quiero mudarme! ¡A un lugar soleado!”. Es difícil de creer, pero se supone que Córdoba tiene más de 300 días de sol al año.
El otro día comimos en la sexta planta de El Corte Inglés. Estábamos allí para mirar los televisores de la cuarta planta (el nuestro tiene 10 años y es menos inteligente de lo que necesitamos). Luego, San Geraldo iba a hacer la compra en la quinta planta mientras yo me alejaba a curiosear y luego a explorar la ciudad.
Cuando pedí la cuenta del almuerzo, me dieron un recibo del tamaño de un sello. Una forma estupenda de ahorrar papel, pensé. Pero luego, a pesar de que le dije al camarero que no necesitaba recibo, me imprimió uno. No era del tamaño de un sello.
El camarero era agradable, pero debía de tener un mal día. SG pidió una Coca Cola Zero Zero (sin azúcar ni cafeína). El camarero repitió: «Coca Cola Zero» (sin azúcar). Reiteré: «cero cero». Vale, dijo. Entonces leyó de nuevo nuestro pedido completo. No fue difícil. Los dos íbamos a pedir el mismo sándwich. Así que, dos. Los dos tomábamos agua. Y SG estaba pidiendo la Coca-Cola. Zero Zero. El camarero terminó la repetición con «Coca Cola Zero». Volví a decir: «Coca Cola Zero Zero». El camarero dijo: «Ay, sí, cero cero». Volvió con dos Coca-Cola Zero. Le dije al camarero que queríamos Zero Zero. Pensé que solo lo confundiría más si decía: «Y solo una». ¿Una qué? ¿Una cero? El Hermanito habría preguntado: «¿Quién pide primero?» (Abbott and Costello).
• Durante la noche.
• La realidad de la madrugada.
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The building where you had lunch sounds interesting. It seems as if each floor is something different….a restaurant, a grocery store, a place to buy a TV. We bought a “smart” TV two Christmases ago and it has been great. I enjoy a TV that can think! Your encounter with the waiter sure does sound like “Who’s on First”.
Michael:
El Corte Inglés is Spain’s one high-end department store. It has everything. We have a 15-year-old dumb TV stashed behind my desk in my office and this 10-year-old slightly smart TV that will be replaced on Tuesday. Picture quality on both is excellent. I need to find takers.
That kind of department store is dying a slow death here in the USA.
Michael:
We had an El Corte Inglés department store in Fuengirola that had closed just before we moved there. There was another in the town next to us that closed several years later. And the store doesn’t even have the department store competition there is in the States. I’m happy the ones in Málaga and here are thriving.
Oh dear….that does look rather gloomy and dreary. I believe I’d be having a veg out all day on the sofa with some good flicks. And when San Geraldo said he wants to move, did you tell him to bite his tongue?!?!?!
Mistress Borghese:
Bite his tongue? Hell, I’m always up for a move (except now we have to pay for it ourselves).
Never heard of Zero Zero. I never drink coke in any case. My late husband ( a museum curator) used it for cleaning old coins.
Margaret Butterworth:
I’ve heard coke is really good for cleaning. I don’t think it’s the same inside our bodies. I can’t find Zero Zero in the States.
I think you’re used to blue skies! Some regions are grey like this a lot of the winter, like where I grew up. When we moved across the ocean, to Wisconsin, I couldn’t believe the sunshine in mid winter, had to get sunglasses. Boud
Boud:
We moved to San Diego in 1993 and, except for less than 2 years in San Francisco, everywhere we’ve lived since then has been mostly sunny. We’re spoiled.
Where’s KB when you need him!! lol
Jim:
We would have been doing Who’s On First together at the table.
I understand the need for sun. People here have been complaining about how cold it is lately but every day is gloriously sunny.
I cannot wait to hear them go on about the expected snow on Saturday and Sunday!
I have heard of Coke Zero, but not Zero Zero. That would confuse me, too, or is it two???
Bob:
It seems that ZERO ZERO isn’t sold in the States. Sure, let’s make it even more confusing. There’s some sun today. Oops, it’s behind the clouds. Never mind it’s back again. Nope, gone!
11 degrees f here this morning, with mostly cloudy skies. As someone was saying the hot tub the other day, we don’t have hurricanes, we don’t have earthquakes, we don’t have alligators. Keep repeating that, until spring. The zero-zero thing would be confusing.
A-hem… we seldom have earthquakes. How long was the Washington Monument closed after the last one…
Ah yes, there was that. I did make it home that afternoon, Capital Bike Share was a lifesaver.
wickedhamster:
I laughed at that, too. Well, except for THAT earthquake.
David:
I was going to remind you of the earthquake that shut down the Washington Monument but J beat me to it
Funny. Lily, Jessie and I were just discussing Coke Zero on Wednesday. I thought it had no sugar and no caffeine. They schooled me on that.
I think you guys need to just be like your cats and sleep this spell of horrible weather out. This would probably require medication though.
Ms. Moon
Ms. Moon:
As far as I can tell, Coca Cola with two zeroes isn’t sold in the States. But, yes Zero only means without sugar. They suck at naming. I, too, used to assume ZERO meant no sugar, no caffeine. Today currently has a mix of sun and clouds. I’d better get out quick before the clouds take over.
My girls reassured me that they do make caffeine-free Coke Zero and I just checked and yes, it is available here so we do have Coke Zero, Zero but we just don’t call it that. I find that sad.
Ms. Moon:
Yes, I knew they sold it in the USA, but the name is different. So absurdly confusing.
I kind of appreciate a grey, overcast day now because it means I don’t have to wear my old man wraparound sunglasses if I go out. Now that my cataracts are gone, a bright sunny day is unbearable without those damn sunglasses, my eyes are so sensitive.
Debra:
SG has used those old man glasses for years. His eyes are so light, they’ve always been supersensitive to the sun. Since cataract surgery, it’s even worse. In the States, he would be teased about his old man glasses. In Spain, when he’s placed them on a counter while shopping, younger people have grabbed them and tried them on thinking they were super cool and then being disappointed when he told them they were his.
Clearly, then, I need to move to Spain!
Debra:
You could always bring your sister with you!
A “who’s on first” moment indeed. That first photo is astounding!
David Godfrey:
We have so much of that first photo. However, I got up early this morning to a clear sky and a vivid view of the moon, and it’s partly sunny right now (well, mostly cloudy).
Reminds me of the time my husband and I went to a Japanese restaurant and ordered two gin and tonics and the waiter brought us two Tsingtao beers. We thought that was hilarious. We didn’t correct the waiter, just enjoyed the beers but our reaction caught the attention of the owner or manager who came to our table to make sure everything was all right.
ellen abbott:
SG once asked for a Pernod on the rocks. The server brought him a Pinot on the rocks. That didn’t go over as well as the Tsingtao (except that SG never liked beer). She didn’t know what Pernod was.
Gracious… Coca Cola ought to change the name, to avoid this kind of mistake… that’s what I think! 🙂
Tell me, please… I don’t remember if la propina is included in the total price (as it is, in France), or if the client still needs to add it? Or, if you do a mix of both (also kind of common in France, though the extra is not much more)?
Also, what does that part mean about, No se admitirán devolutiones entre centros de canarias …. ? What’s that talking about?
Bing translator says: Returns between centers in the Canary Islands will not be accepted.
TexasTrailerParkTrash:
It has to be sent back to its origin.
Judy C:
Coca Cola’s naming conventions have always been confusing. ZERO ZERO is ridiculous. SG always has to repeat himself. And they rarely get it right. La propina? Really doesn’t exist here in Córdoba. The price you see on the receipt is exactly what we paid. If you pay cash, you can leave loose change on the table, but never very much. Sevilla was the same. Fuengirola was not because of all the expats. Servers expected something, but 10% was very generous. 5% or just the loose change was appreciated. Since Fuengirola is filled with people from Córdoba during summer and holidays, servers complained about how cheap they were. I see TexasTrailerParkTrash answered your translation question.
Your description of your back and forth with the waiter brought up memories of Manuel, the hapless waiter on “Fawlty Towers.” Basil would go into detailed instructions, only to have Manuel reply with “Que?”
TexasTrailerParkTrash:
I did love Manuel. I think the character would have to be rewritten these days.
The nighttime view from your apartment is lovely. I fully expected to scroll down and find a clip of Color My World by Chicago. It’s playing in my head anyway.
Kelly:
I was thinking of the Chicago song, but it has played too many times in my head and I just couldn’t add it to the end.
When we renovated our first floor, paint was a BIG decision. In the past, it was whatever Walmart had in stock and in quantity and CHEAP. We lived with $8 per gallon “beige” walls for 20 years. On the renovation, we went to the Benjamin Moore store and chips and samples, and after much deliberation, narrowed it down to “Porter House Ranch”… which is…. beige. But a darker beige… at $40 a gallon.
Rade:
Whether we could afford it or not, we always went with the high-end paints. We accented our town house in Santa Barbara with Ralph Lauren metallic paints. That was amazing and, yes, I think about $40 a gallon.
We had sunny blue skies here today with a bitter -35 Celsius windchill. Be careful what you wish for, Scoot! Moose has the right idea to hibernate til the weather improves, LOL.
Tundra Bunny:
I did think about that. I’ll take 14C and cloudy, thank you.
Ah, the bigger receipt has a QR code. They want something from you.
Kirk:
Yeah, I mislabeled. the first was more like a billing statement. The second was the actual receipt after I paid.
I want to move! Someplace without ICE! Someplace without the Felon, Noem, Hegseth, Miller, et al. I had no idea there’s such a thing as coke zero zero. That’s confusing.
Love,
Janie
janiejunebug:
Coke’s naming conventions are ridiculous. But I don’t think ZERO ZERO exists in the USA. I think it’s called Coca Cola Zero-Sugar Zero-Caffeine. At least you know what that is.
I hate to make this about me, but is it going to be cloudy when we’re there? Ugh! I want a refund!
I had no idea Coca Cola Zero also came in Zero Zero, so I would have been as befuddled as your waiter. But then, I’m not a waiter.