A real head-breaker

From time to time, I like to do a jigsaw puzzle. The translation of jigsaw puzzle in Spanish is “rompecabezas,” literally “head-breaker” and “trencaclosques ” in Catalan, “skull-breaker.” I do occasionally feel that the puzzle is trying to break my head! During the Pandemic, I was bored enough to discover online jigsaw puzzles. There is more than one site, but I used this one:  https://www.jigsawplanet.com. I specialized in well known monuments and places of interest in Spain. It was a somewhat different endeavor, but equally frustrating, even though there were usually only 200 – 300 pieces. 

For a real puzzle, I usually choose a 1,000 piece one as a puzzle with only 500 pieces just isn’t challenging enough and doesn’t take that long. If you only devote an hour or so a day to the puzzle at hand, it can take a long time (at least for me) to finish! That’s what happened to me last week when I had the puzzle 80% (?) complete and invited friends over for onion soup. We needed to eat on the dining room table where the puzzle was laid out. What to do? I segregated all of the as-yet unused pieces into baggies with similar colors together and put the placemats on top of the puzzle. Guests were required to eat gingerly so as not to disturb my work!

February is the month that I’m required to have my car inspected every two years. This year, I had two broken headlights (not the big ones, but a tiny one and another horizontal one in the front). Peugeot wanted 1300€ for new ones. I was in the States for my treatments for six weeks during February and March, and upon my return, my mechanic had located some used ones and installed them. I only drove around illegally for a couple of weeks trying to avoid the Police who often hang out at the roundabouts waiting for lawbreakers!

Taking an ITV (technical inspection) test in Spain can be quite a daunting experience for foreigners, especially if it’s your first time. I wrote extensively about my experience at the car inspection facility in a prior post when they discovered that my car was previously equipped for a handicapped person and they didn’t pass me on the first round.  https://susiessenioryearabroadhome.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1612&action=edit. It was a headache! This one went much smoother – not as dramatic for me or for them having to deal with a woman who didn’t know technical terms like car horn or turn indicator in Spanish or Catalan!

I commented before that the process is extremely thorough and serious here. It’s quite an operation with multiple mechanics inspecting my car – not a flunky at Jiffy Lube! And two years ago in Texas, the Governor signed a bill into law which eliminates regular mandatory vehicle safety inspections for noncommercial vehicles. Hmmm.  Safety first?

I can’t believe it, but I still have not learned!! Cassie (and maybe Cam, but certainly Cassie) ate a half a jar of peanut butter. I usually have one food that I am addicted to at a time (Snackwells, wasabi peas, marcona almonds, etc.). Now it’s peanut butter. I brought a jar of my favorite variety from the States (the Kroger brand) with me this trip but I ate it all, so I’ve been trying various brands I’ve found in grocery stores here. So far, I’ve only liked one brand. So, I had three extra jars that I don’t like in a bag to take to a friend next week when we have Catalan class, and the bag was on a chair. I went out to dinner with a friend from Begur, came home, and I didn’t notice anything “off” until the morning when I heard Cam slurping under the dining room table. That’s when I discovered the half-eaten jar. I contacted the vet immediately. Luckily, it was the jar of peanut butter from the health food store which has no additives, just peanuts. I think she (Cassie, I’m sure) knocked or dragged the bag out of the chair, cracking the lid, which enabled her to get the jar open. OMG! Whew!

And there have been two more cars at the Russian’s house. For a few days there was a labradoodle and then a couple of days later there was a labrador, no doodle. I’m making a folder on my computer with the photos of all the cars. If anything should happen to me…hack into my computer and show the photos to the Guardia Civil (federal police) or Interpol.