A Cat, A Foot, An Exam & A Hike

It's ironic that I did not skip a beat in continuing with my blog articles while I was in the U.S. but I found it difficult to get the next one out when I returned to Barcelona.  But between unpacking, bringing the cat home and taking her to the vet, and going on an all-day hike on that first Sunday, I found that it was impossible to do so.  So this is my catch-up article.  I'll try to make this as brief as I can.

Cat Issues and Accommodations

I'm learning about cat behavior here more than I ever knew in the U.S.  I'm also learning to be an amateur vet in giving Sunset her medications. When Sunset arrived in September, Carol and I both noticed that she would sneeze infrequently.  I didn't think anything of it, but over time it got worse.  A couple of weeks before my trip to the U.S. I took her to the vet and he prescribed medications for her which included giving her drops and a cream in her eyes three times a day.  She has been a trooper and has endured this up to now.

I also needed to have someone care for Sunset while I was gone for 2 1/2 weeks to the U.S.  My friend Oscar B. was more than happy to take care of her, but it meant that I had to bring her to his home, which is about 6 blocks away.  Oscar was great with Sunset and she seemed to be fine there.  But as I had been warned, it can be stressful for a cat to move location and at the same time to be separated from her owner.  She did exhibit signs of stress plus her medical issues were still not completely resolved.  So she returned to the vet and I am giving her medications for another week.

I will be in London from Jan 22 - 26 and this time a classmate friend of mine, Vera, who also lives in the neighborhood, will be coming to the house and spending time here with Sunset and will also spend some nights here.  That should minimize any future stress on Sunset.

My !#@&$ Foot

Back in May, I noticed that I had lost some feeling in my left toe.  I went to a doctor and was misdiagnosed that I had a gout attack.  In the summer I went to another doctor who didn't believe it was gout based on blood tests but didn't have a clear diagnosis.  This issue didn't impede my ability to be mobile, so I waited until I was in the U.S.to see my doctor there and although he didn't know what the issue was, he recommended that I go to a podiatrist.  I did that in the U.S. and the podiatrist said that it was a nerve issue and that it was emanating from my spinal column.  He suggested that I find a chiropractor in Barcelona and begin to get treatment.


I am now going to a chiropractor and I'll see how this goes.  I do have some skepticism about chiropractic therapy and its benefits but I will be patient and see if they can help.  A few years ago I was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, which is a narrow spinal column that one is born with but can cause issues with age.  There is probably a pinched nerve and the chiropractic treatments may help with realigning the backbones and the pelvis and giving relief to the nerves.  Time will tell on this one.

Spanish Final Exam

My Spanish Class with my teacher (holding the plant)
and some of my classmates (I am not in the pic)

In less than a week upon my return from the U.S. I had two days of final exams in Spanish.  Spending  3 weeks talking in English the entire time made for a rude awakening in getting my mind and speech back into thinking and speaking in Spanish.  The first day was a writing test which involved reading a complex article and writing a composition about the topic.  It was not an easy reading and was not an easy topic for me.  The second day was a 2 1/2 hour exam that included reading comprehension, grammar and listening comprehension.  Again, it was a very tough exam.  Luckily I did not need to do the oral exam because I did well on a mid-term presentation in class.  On Jan 27 I will get my results to see if I passed and can sign up for Level 5 or if I failed and will need to repeat Level 4 (if I decide to go back).  A lot of emphasis is placed on the individualized pace of language learning and that it takes some people longer to master a language than others and that it is not an issue to repeat a level. That all sounds well and good, but I'll be disappointed if they recommend that I repeat.  I'll know next Monday.


Tough Hike

My good friend Jordi, who is in the restaurant business, finally has been able to take some vacation time in January and so organized a hiking trip into the northern mountains of Catalunya.  We walked 24 kilometers and climbed up about 700 meters to an altitude of 1,246 meters.  It was the hardest hike I have ever done since moving here!  It was beautiful though.  But I definitely felt it over the next few days!!!  Here are some photos from the hike.