Allie in the South of Spain

Jose and I have really just enjoyed a great weekend. It all started on Friday when we attended a trivia event put on by the American Women's Club of Seville to raise money for its charities. I belong to this club but unfortunately am unable to go to a lot of the things they organize because of my schedule. I was excited to be able to go support a good cause, spend time with our friends (who I talked into coming) and to participate in a trivia contest in a English speaking bar. We didn't end up winning but we did pretty well considering we were the youngest people there. Saturday brought us some beautiful weather so we took Cooper out for a long time before coming back up to our apartment to have lunch out on our balcony. So far my flowers are looking okay, except the yellow ones which for some reason are a bit sad. Any idea why???? On Saturday we went to meet Alberto, the son of one of Jose's co-workers. He was adorable, as all new babies are and was super go...

For the last week or so the weather has been amazing here in the south of Spain. Sunshine, great temperatures and days that are getting longer can only mean one thing: spring is here. Spring can be a fickle season for us; it doesn't usually last very long (before the heat starts to tighten its grip) and tends to be rainy. That means we are trying to take advantage of this perfect weather while it lasts! This weekend we decided to get our balcony terrace ready for use. We have a pretty small space outside our apartment and last year we bought a table and chairs to go out there. During our first warm season in the new place, we didn't take advantage of our outdoor space because we get A LOT of afternoon sun which meant that things were pretty bright and steamy exactly when we wanted to be outside. Now that the association has been established in our complex we can finally get a retractable awning put up so that we be outside without getting burned. This awning will also allo...

The second half of February was pretty blah in that other than work and normal everyday life stuff there wasn't a whole lot going on (which helps explain the lack of posts here on my blog). The last few days of the month were a holiday here in the south of Spain, Andalucia Day, so Jose and I had a couple of days off work. We took advantage and went to Portugal for the long weekend where we relaxed and recharged. When we arrived home this afternoon we went to check on Skittles, our canary. His cage usually hangs out on our terrace, unless it is raining, in which case he stays inside our laundry room. This weekend predicted good weather so we had left him outside to enjoy the sunshine. He had just begun to sing again for us, something he hadn't done in a while. Life seemed good for our little bird. Jose ended up finding Skittles in his cage, dead and pretty mutilated. I would first have guessed this was done by a cat but we live on the 9th floor. Instead we figure he...

Today is not only Valentine's Day but also marks one year exactly since Jose and I spent the first night in our new apartment. There are a lot of days that it feels much longer, probably because of all the work we have put in to making this place a home but it really only has been 365 days. That first night we had a quiet dinner at home (a tradition we will continue tonight) and we slept on a mattress on the floor since we didn't have a bed yet. Check out the post from the very beginning: Our first few nights in the new place It is times like these that I am so thankful that I have documented most big events in our lives on this blog because I am able to look back and see what has changed, how things have come together, our struggles, impressions, excitements, disappointments.  Here are some before and after posts specifically about our apartment from the last year: Bathrooms Kitchen Living room Small bedroom Today I would also like to add a few more after pict...

Paradise on Earth Recently Jose and I bought our flights back to Michigan for the summer. Ka-ching! They are always very expensive but we happened to find a few that were less than normal. We jumped on them. This, combined with the crappy weather we have been experiencing (certainly nothing compared to what has been happening this winter back in the U.S.) here in the south of Spain and I find myself dreaming about summertime.  Last year Jose and I created a summer bucket list which we may continue the closer we get to flying out. Right now I am just getting excited for all the big events we have this year. Besides going to our weekly free-popcorn movie at the theater and laying out on the raft at the lake, we have quite a few things in the works for this summer. Mostly these events include a couple of short trips planned to do some domestic travelling. Can't wait! Cousins! 1. PUFO: This is short for the Perelli-Ugolini family outing and it is a weekend that we spend u...

Welcome to my third 30 before 30 list update. I am still slowly but surely crossing things off as I accomplish them and think I am on track to complete the majority before my 30th birthday (which is still a few years away yet). I am also excited because Jose and I have plans to be able to tackle a few more before we head back to Michigan this summer, such as number 7 (we would like to walk part of the Camino de Santiago in July) or number 23 (my sister and possibly my parents might visit us this spring). But onto the things I have been able to complete since my last update: 1. Go on another cruise. 2. Learn to cook Indian food. I have been playing around with recipes and finally found a super simple way to make chicken tikka masala (which I wrote about here ). It is my favorite Indian food and I am happy to say that I have also discovered an Indian restaurant here in Seville that I am excited to try out! Now we don't have to head to Portugal for our fix. The finished product...

My dog is needy. Like if I am sitting down in my apartment he needs to be on my lap needy. Like if I am standing doing something around the apartment he tries to jump into my arms to be carried around needy. Lately though I find that if I am distracted with something when I am home in the mornings before work, when I realize it, he has disappeared. This is not like him but now I am on to his game. When I am not paying attention he jumps into the bed where he knows he shouldn't be. I will find him cuddled under the blankets. I have started to take photos as evidence. As you can see from this last picture, he sometimes has the decency to try to look surprised that he has been caught even though he knows he isn't supposed to be there. Cooper usually sleeps in his crate with his blankie that he is loves. He is really comfortable and often will go in by himself at night without any prodding on our part. Would he prefer to sleep in the bed? Certainly as is evidenced ...