Monday 31st July

It's been a mixed bag of a day.  The scales came out again and so I found a larger suitcase and intended moving the clothes into that one to see if I could get anything in.  I checked out the other computer that I bought and realised that I'd set that one up much better than the one that I bought in England so that's going with me to the UK.  The screen is much easier to read, don't ask me what I did differently. I haven't a clue but I'll work on the other when I have time.  I made a late brunch out of the ingredients that I intended eating last night except that I put them in the sauce pan and added beetroot and it turned out like a Swedish dish that I used to eat when I was working there.  It was about eleven when I finished it, found the chargers and they're all in the bag and ready to go along with the power pack that I bought, and wrote a list of telephone numbers for Avatar.  I'm not anticipating any problems, I've had none since I've been here but I'm still touching wood all the same.

At one I drove into Djebel to get money from the cash-point to collect my insurance for the Nipper.  The current one doesn't run out until the eleventh but the new sticker is ready to be applied.  I also realised tonight that I'd not taken the old sticker from the Beast and was still showing last year's insurance so I found a Brillo pad thing, cleaned the old one off, dried it off and applied the current sticker.  So with cash in hand I went to the garage shop, my insurance was ready so I handed it over and somehow the conversation got round to fire extinguishers that are kept in the boot along with the triangle and the high viz jacket.  I've never taken one to be checked and not sure that other people do but going to Sofia I asked where I could get it done.  I'd offered to buy a new one but again it didn't have the proper certification so I said goodbyes to the shop and headed back to the car-park, checked the date on my fire extinguisher and it said twenty twenty one so I headed into Kardjali and to the place that I get my MOT's done.  The owner's wife came out to meet me, I explained the problem and she took me to the place which was down some steps and I know that on my own I'd have never found it.  By this time she'd already removed the date code so the man checked it, said it was OK, certified me and charged me five leva and now I'll get them done when I get my MOT's.

Back to Djebel, told my student's mum that I was now legal and carried on back home, had a bonfire, emptied the beach chairs and umbrella from the boot of the Nipper and tidied it up, washed the car mats and cleaned it out a little and then it started raining giving us a beautiful rainbow.  Avatar came over for instructions for doors and keys, she's coming over to water my plants and then together we walked down to the rubbish containers in the bottom square.  What a mess, both are full and overflowing, the cows have obviously got in there and spread it everywhere and it really did stink.  Thank goodness I live at the other end and away from it.  Eight my time, the day seems to have run away with me but some days are like that.  LN.....It's very calm out there with grey clouds....Avatar might not have much work to do.....LN