Rain Delay

Rain has been a mistin' here in Piedras and plans to for the next few days. I need to find some indoor sports and maybe plot a day trip or two. Starting to look into a Barcelona extended trip as well.

Strollers here are accessories as are the kids sitting in them. The kids are essentially large purses. It amazes me the time and effort the adults take to coordinate their stroller and child to what they are wearing. Today the kids are bubble wrapped and they don't like it.

In Miami International Airport, they have a machine that you stick your suitcase on and spin it around while it gets saran wrapped. That's what it reminds me of.

I walk a bit in my trusty raincoat, planning to look in some stores but it's siesta time so I opt to stop in a corner bar instead. As I walk into the bar, it goes totally silent and everyone stares at me. It's all men and I say hi to the bartender and plop my backpack down on a chair. I undo the velcro on my jacket a bit then in one swift motion, I rip it open and take it off. By the looks I'm getting, I might as well just have ripped off a pair of velcro pants.

I get immediate service.

"A glass of Rioja wine please." I say as I pull out my book. The wines in Spain are cheap and good. A glass of wine will cost you around 1.70 Euro and it´s usually a great red. With my glass comes a toothpick filled sausage tapa. Perfect to go with the sausage fest I am currently enjoying. I try a little and then devour it in one bite throwing the now meatless toothpick on the table. No sense in trying to be ladylike about it.

I think about heading to the gym to try and partake in a Spanish aerobics class. Aerobics are ridiculous fun and doing it in Spanish would be great entertainment. I'm curious what kind of music they'd play and if my syncronized dancing skillz have gotten better but I instead opt to go to the cafe and get online. As I open my computer, a girl who also has one, beelines for me. She starts speaking fast and I have to warn her, I know a little Spanish.

She asks me if I´m on the internet and I say yes. She's having problems getting on the network, so I go over to her computer and search it's Spanish navigation for an airport. I try a few things but fail to get it up and going. "Can't I plug it in?" she says. "No, ít's WiFi and there's no plug it's in the air. Sorry." She understands and gives me a smile and thanks.

As I go to pay for my coffee and churros I find out she has paid for it to thank me for helping her. That was really nice.

I head over to the library for a bit to look in and check it out. I love libraries and this one is cool. An old building with three levels it's got lots of light and open windows. I go into the computer center and ask if I can use one but get told I need to have a library card. Thinking that was that, I start to leave when the lady comes up and tells me I just need an address and I can get one. I don't know it off the bat, so I head home retrieve it and head back. I have a computer but the bandwidth is better at the library so I can watch movies Key West friends make like Shrimp Tails. Staring my good friend Cricket (and yes, she really is pregnant and due any day now. BABY BEAN!)

We go through the form and it's hilarious. She is so patient which I appreciate cause everything for me is backwards. Starting from the address which is different than your typical U.S. one right up to the birthdate. I listed it with month first and here they start with the date. I realize it after I hand it to her and non-verbally explain it's reversed. I get my picture taken and am told I can pick my card up here when it´s ready. I'm local now! As I leave, I thank her for her help.

I go upstairs to check out the book portion and it´s great. Lots of newspapers, history books on Asturias as well as CD's. Would love to update my ipod with some new songs. I start to leave and push the glass doors. They don't open. Then I pull them. They don't open. I'm pushing and pulling laughing at myself cause I can't read the word on the door for the instruction to get out.

Finally it opens and I'm still laughing. I turn to see the if the librarian caught this whole ordeal and she's shaking her head laughing as well. I wave goodbye to her and smile.

I just learned the word for PULL.