Oh, I don't know....food and clothes, no undies though

OK, getting a feel for the readership here, the underwear story was clearly the most interesting, or at least the most comment worthy. What does that say about ALL of us????????????????HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Well, the first bit of good news, the money came through, only the 11th!!!! The bad news? We ended up paying the rent.....twice. The husband is going to try to fix that one tomorrow. The joys of banking in two foreign languages.....

Went into Barcelona for a job interview, teaching english as a second language, landed the job no problem, I am a teacher and have taught now for about 15 years so that was a no-brainer, the problem is the job sucks. 14.50/hr, and it's an hour trip each way. I'll only get an hour here and an hour there, so after I pay for childcare.....you see, with the 2 - 3 hour lunch here, people think of taking class then, problem is the kids have a 2 hour lunch, the husband an hour and a half....can you see how this plays out? If I also have to pay for the kids to have lunch at school, and they have to wait there for half an hour after school for my husband to show up if I get an hours work in the evening and sit around for 6 hours waiting for it, and then I don't get home till 10, all for a crappy 40Euros.......Why would I do that? I'd be losing cash along with my mind and my life.

Start again. Have to confess my heart isn't in it. I am kind of looking forward to having a few hours a day all by myself to do whatever I want. Commuting for three hours a day is NOT on. Rethink the plan entirely.

That said, went shopping with the girls. They've gotten old enough that it is no longer a refined form of torture, you know, trying to change with one climbing out of the room under the door, you just get undressed and someone needs to pee... or nap, or fight with their sister.......Got the older girl a winter coat she just loves. Very teenage cool as well, I've noticed the exact model on a lot of the local teenagers, not on many of the kids here age though so we'll see what happens at school.... she may be a fashionista in fact....those of you who know me well enough can stop laughing NOW.

She was picking out all sorts of cool clothes, and true to form for a teenager (though she ain't there numerically) informing me that she could SO not see me in this or that outfit -usually something stylish- and at one point while I was trying on quite a nice shirt she informed me that I look like a cricket! CHARMING! It was actually very very funny, although I am going to go and buy pants without her.

Did manage to get a new turtle neck and some tights.....I was excited. I wear clothing till it is COMPLETELY dead... so I needed it. Shoes here though, man there are some nice ones.

The darling children were starving at lunch time though, there are a million restaurants and such. We didn't exactly cover all the food groups, but it was good. The Catalans have a dish called pa amb tomaquet...bread and tomatoes, but here's the hook. Take georgeous fresh crusty white bread, preferably warm from the baker....cut open a tomato that actually tastes like something not that shit that usually comes out of the supermarket. You cut it horizontally if the stem is at the top. This is important and I have been corrected for improper cutting, and I am now reformed. Seize your half a tomato, and with authority, invert it on the bread, squeeze it while smearing all those yummy innards around on the bread. Repeat with the other half (sounds like the shampoo bottles, that repeat is one of the greatest marketing/sales doubling tool isn't it). The Catalans now throw out the tomato halves, but you are going to get the Canadianized version of this. Set the tomato aside. Get the very best olive oil you can. None of that mild flavour crap. This stuff should be green and only just translucent. We've been using stuff my husband's cousin brought us, pressed from their own olives.... Drizzle that over the bread. And over the mushed tomato halves on your plate. Salt lightly. That's my breakfast, and the basis of all sandwiches here.

So....after that diversion, that was the sandwich beginning then we had ham on it-do not think Oscar Meyer here-more like proscuitto but better. The Catalans LOVE ham, there are hams you can by for over 200 Euros per OUNCE!!!!! They eat more shellfish and more ham.......nothing like a couple of hundred years of spanish inquisition, eh? That sandwich was nearly enough, but we were feeling lavish so went back for croissants amb xocolate. Can you guess? The X is an sh sound. Very very good. LOTS and LOTS of xocolate. MMMMmmmmmmmmmmm. Happy tummys. Good lunch.

A very good day overall.