Last night, as Highway to Hell blared on the neighbour's sound system, and, on the far side of Bueu, a group of motorcyclists revved and revved without going anywhere, I felt the mood of Lockdown Week 4 shift to a slightly darker place. And when I awoke to find a dead lizard on the doorstep... Continue Reading →

It's amazing how many things can go wrong when you don't even leave your house. Stanley pukes all over your cream-coloured rug. Molly pees in the middle of your freshly-washed white cotton duvet cover (soaking through to the duvet itself, of course). A large pimple appears smack dab in the middle of your neck. Your... Continue Reading →

"Your life will get more and more exciting," reads the fortune taped to my fridge. I saved it back in November, back when I had high hopes for 2020. Now, on this second day of April, I can report that my fortune is finally coming true. Today was the day I moved the jar of... Continue Reading →

Today's the day. I can feel it in my bones. For three days I've been composing the perfect list, and today, after a week of being confined inside the perimeter of these stone walls, is Gadis Day. I comb my hair and apply my dual finish powder foundation and Burt's Bees "pucker" lip shine. I... Continue Reading →

So, here we are. Day Two of Round Two of Spain's nation-wide lockdown. No less than five people have written (including, I might add, a couple of complete strangers) asking me to continue writing. My apologies to those of you who were relieved when they read the last words of Lockdown #14. Exactly one month... Continue Reading →

Take back what I said about Bueu getting tired. Someone has rigged up a sound system, which is still blaring one hour and 19 minutes after the 8 o'clock clapping party.  Earlier they used it to play a town-wide game of Bingo. To accompany the jacked-up speakers, the ambulance and police cars did two rounds... Continue Reading →

It's 11:07 p.m. Now it's 11:09. Sometimes there just isn't anything left to say. 11:12. But I promised myself I would write something every day of this lockdown. If I don't, my mother will worry. 11:15. When I think about Day 13, not much comes to mind (obviously). Then I realize I actually accomplished at... Continue Reading →

I'm not going to lie. Today – despite the sunshine and the scent of orange blossoms lacing the air – was tough. And increasingly surreal. "The gates of Gorky Park are firmly closed," said the BBC correspondent from Russia this morning, setting the tone. Armani makes single-use medical overalls for healthcare workers. Condoms run out... Continue Reading →

The honeymoon is over. Today I took the day off from being off. That meant guilt-free doing nothing instead of guilt-laden trying to do something. I did things like eat two cream-filled donuts, pulled out nettles with my bare hands, and bought a box of duster replacement heads for more than eight dollars. None of... Continue Reading →

Warning, if you don't like cats, stop reading now. Some of you have been asking about the cats in these blog posts. Well, actually, one of you asked. But that's enough to give me an excuse to dedicate this post to my feline friends. This morning the neighbour across from me, an elderly gentleman who... Continue Reading →